Not Your Average Fairy Tail
by Cafe passionne
Summary: "Thank you for the meal!" He had never thought he would curse Happy, let alone the manners that made up for the both of their rude habits, and yet there he was, fighting back a snarl as she waved off their gratitude and disappeared through the door. "Natsu?" "I hate my dragon instincts," he snarled before his forehead hit the table. /universe altercations (ua) - slow burn/ REWRITE
1. Chapter one

**Chapter one**

_"Velkomin a__ð Lokpa,"_ a soft voice greeted at the base of the dock, a kind woman bundled from head to toe in fur and wool smiling and inclining her head slightly towards each person, respectful towards each person. _"Velkomin að Lokpa."_ She found herself choked up for half a second as a strange man with deep spice hair and lazy azure eyes passed her, a strength coming off him in waves and sending her skittering back half a step before she continued on with her greetings, each a little shakier as she kept glancing behind her, as if to reassure herself that the strange man was truly gone. _"Velkomin að Lokpa." _The man, completely oblivious to the terror he induced in those aware enough to sense magic- some with and some without the knowledge to recognize it for what it truly was- continued to wander aimlessly through the building, listening in on any conversation within earshot for a single clue as to where he was, or even someone who spoke Fiorean to help him understand where he had gone. He remembers traveling to Isvan, though he was pretty sure the woman who had promised to help him had actually just finessed money out of him while buying him the next ticket to wherever- it had been a suspiciously short waiting period.

"Man, I really shoulda took Levy up on those language lessons," he grumbled irritably, running his fingers through his greasy hair and cringing as he thought back on how long it had been since he had took a shower. He stepped out into the icy streets of the port town, snorting good naturedly as he kicked a bank of snow, the flakes of ice delicately falling back to the ground, looking to not have been disturbed at all.

_"Þú ert að grínast!"_ a shrill voice cried out from before the man, the pair of women hardly sparing him a glance as they wandered into the building he had just exited, only wrinkling their nose when a small tuft of snow landed on the toes of their boots. _"Micha sagði mér að hann væri að fara í Enca." _

_"Við ættum að kenna að ljúga rassleiki,"_ her companion chortled out wickedly, a devious gleam in her dark eyes that had the man sidestepping them. He quickly decided that he still would rather fight a monster than deal with the sharp wit of a scorned woman, so he scanned his surroundings as he began into the small town, looking for anything that would help him- because, despite understanding Enca, he had been to the tropical island enough to know that the snowy wasteland he found himself in was definitely not Enca.

"Lyra, stop that," a silvery voice scolded, the man's eyes snapping up to find a young teenager, not old enough to be out on her own, pulling a glaring woman away from a cowering man. "Even if I said I didn't want to stay in Iceberg long, you could at least leave me the option on when to leave. I'd rather not be thrown out this close to the border with the Pergrande Kingdom." She shuddered- in distaste or cold, the man wasn't sure- and the woman smiled apologetically as she curled an arm around the younger blonde.

"You're right," she hummed out slowly, frowning when she realized just how cold the younger girl was. "Lucy, when was the last time you renewed that heat spell?" The teenager waved off her concerns, readjusting the fur lined cloak she wore with gloved hands, and the strawberry blonde haired woman inflated her cheeks in annoyance. "Lucy, don't make me rat on you to Aquarius! You renew that spell right now, or so help me, not even the Celestial Spirit King will save you from her wrath."

"Alright! Alright!" the golden haired teenager, Lucy, huffed out, swatting away at the older woman's fretting hands. "If I had known you were going to be such a nuisance, I might have called out _Taurus_ instead." Lyra gasped, horrified by the words that held no value to the eavesdropping man just trying to make sense of their conversation. _"Heimahjúkrun._ There. Are you happy?" The moment magic washed over the blonde, there was a slur to her words and a stagger to her gait. She seemed surprised to turn and find her companion had disappeared, a slight shimmer to the snow behind her leaving Lucy to let out a heavy sigh. "That's why I wanted to wait a little bit, Lyra."

"Woah, what the fuck happened to her?" the man choked out suddenly, his eyes wide and his jaw hanging open in shock.

The blonde startled, scuttling back a few steps and holding the palm of her hand out, not thinking long before crying out, _"Xiūkè!" _A spark of electricity shot out towards the man, who winced as it collided with his chest- he almost laughed at how much it hurt since he thought he was all but immune to being electrocuted. "Who are you and what do you want? Fiorean isn't commonly spoken in Iceberg."

"Iceberg? Shit, that bitch really fucked up my job," he grumbled out, still trying to rub away the small shock that jumped through his muscles. "Why're you so jumpy anyways, kid?" When she held her hand up again, threateningly narrowing her eyes, he raised his own hands in a placating gesture and quirked an eyebrow at the silken skirt he could seen peeking out from her cloak. "Oi, hang on. I'm from a Fiorean guild, Fairy Tail. I'm on a job and someone back in Isvan jipped me of my money and sent me here." He yanked the collar of his shirt down a little, wincing as it ripped, and showed off the guild mark proudly stamped on his left pectoral, returning his hands to their position in the air. "Name's Gildarts Clive. I'm just lookin' for a way to get to Giritina."

"And you came from Fiore?" the blonde hummed out, sounding skeptical. "You do realize that you'll have to head to Carmada, right? They're the closest country to Ishgar that trades with Giritina."

"Holy shit, yer a lifesaver. Is there anythin' I can do to help you out?" he breathed out excitedly, blue eyes shining with childish joy that lowered Lucy's defenses for a moment- she always had a soft spot for people who retained the things she could not, and that look was definitely not one she wore often.

So a soft smile curled over her lips as she allowed her muscles to grow lax, head jerking off to the left as she mumbled, "Buy me something to eat." When the man followed after her, eager to agree with a wolfish look on his face, she sent a spark back to knock the breath out of him, a stern look in her stony eyes. "Don't push your luck, old man. You may be powerful, but I'll be damned if you get the upper hand on me."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he wheezed out, wincing as he trailed after her.

* * *

"Hang on," she demanded, setting her mocha down silently as her eyebrows knitted together. "This job that your taking was so dangerous that you couldn't even ask this linguistic master at your guild to write you out directions, but you decided that it was alright to tell several strangers you've met in passing?"

"I don't know what sausage has to do with anything," he grumbled, a look of confusion on his face, but he nodded nonetheless, "but yes."

"Linguistic, not linguiça. It means she studies languages," Lucy corrected, an exasperated sigh on her lips.

"Well you see," he started, ignoring the new word in favor of talking about the kid he'd grown fond of over the past few years, "there's this kid at the guild, a destructive little shithead who tries to fight everyone all the time. He's been through some rough shit, but he's got all this enthusiasm, all this excitement for life. He's got the hearing of a fuckin' dog though, maybe even better actually. Swear, I was talkin' about a birthday present for the fucker to a couple friends and this kid comes barrelin' outta nowhere, tellin' me to get him on a S-class job instead. Nearly broke his nose I punched him so hard."

"I see," she hummed out, taking a long sip of her coffee before a smile quirked on her lips. "Why didn't you put sound enchantments around you?" At the blank look she received, she let out a sigh and shook her head, fishing a book out of the tiny backpack she kept under her cloak and passing it across the table to him. "Here, take this. It's full of sound enchantments, silencing spells, and ways to magically enhance both sounds and silence. I already know the material in it, and if that kid really has the hearing you say, you'll definitely need it."

"Holy shit, ya serious?" he asked, cautiously picking up the book by the back cover and watching the pages flare open. The blonde cringed as she watched the book fall open, nodding with a gentle hum despite herself, and the man shot her a dazzling grin as he went to tuck it away in his backpack, glad it appeared to be in Fiorean. "Anyways, are ya willing to write down whatever I'll need to get to Giritana?"

"Giritina," she corrected once more with a sigh, though she nodded and pulled out a couple pieces of paper and a pen, setting to work on scrawling out neat notes in various languages- one in Icebergic, two in Carmadian, and one in Giritinish, though she wasn't too familiar with the third language. "These two are for your trip there. Put them in the front of the book," she ordered, sliding them across the table in order. "These two should get you back to Fiore. Put them in the back of your book so you don't lose them."

"Thanks kid," Gildarts hummed, following her instructions before tucking the book away a final time. "Ya need money to get anywhere?"

"No thank you. I prefer travelling on foot," she stated, finishing off the lukewarm drink before smiling and standing. "That being said, I should get going. I've got quite a ways to travel. You should go, too. Iceberg citizens are kind towards mages and all, but they aren't very fond of outsiders."

"Here," he said, sliding a wad of jewels- a _large_ wad of jewels- towards her as he stood himself. "Take it as payment and call this your first job. Ya did great, kid. I hope we run into each other again, though I can't say for sure I'll remember ya if we do. Smack me on the head and cuss me out, though, and I'll know we met." Despite herself and the fact that even thinking of cussing him out made her cringe, she smiled and pocketed the cash, bowing her head in gratitude.

"I'll definitely remember you, Gildarts Clive," she hummed, her smile bright enough to shock the man. "I, too, hope we meet again. Stay out of trouble." Without another word, she disappeared, dark cloak lost in the blizzard that was beginning to pick up, and the man clicked his tongue as he headed out himself, leaving a generous tip for the young waiter that had earned quite a scolding from the blonde after his initial rudeness.

* * *

Five months, she realized with a start the moment she had the Stellan newspaper in her hands, the young spirit at her side shifting uncomfortably at the almost dead look that appeared in her topaz doe eyes. He didn't say anything, merely wrapping his fingers around her free hand in a quiet show of comfort, and she tore her gaze from the date that told her she had been walking across Ishgar for more than five months- something both her slowly deteriorating clothes and pained feet could have definitely told her- and had only just reached Stella. She was at least a month behind schedule, something she blamed on the ragtag jobs she was forced into for whatever money she could earn. She still had the money from Gildarts, the beginning of her savings that she was stowing away for when she finally decided to settle down somewhere and required a residence, and the extra money she had saved from both her jobs and selling her expensive clothing had left her with a rather hefty sum in her pocket dimension. "Let's go," she hummed out, smiling sweetly towards the cashier that had let her see the newspaper as she passed the paper back to him. "We should only have three or four more months before we reach Fiore, depending on how much work we take."

"You do realize you still have a bunch of money, right?" Leo Minor asked with a quirked eyebrow, the young spirit she had acquired nearly a month beforehand rather sassy all things considered. For a moment, she wondered how unbearable Leo Major would be, quickly dismissing the thought when she allowed the child spirit to tug her along- he wasn't unbearable so much as he was cocky, and she treasured his willingness to come out despite how often it ended with the pair of them running from trouble or fighting it off. "You should just rent a magic vehicle and drive through Stella, or call Lyra out to rent it."

"Leo, you and I both know renting a magic vehicle requires identification, which leaves behind a paper trail. I'm not so willing to be tracked by either my father nor the Perde King, so walking suits me just fine. If you'd like, I could ask someone else to accompany me."

"No way!" Leo argued, furrowing his eyebrows for a second before tacking on, "unless you want to ask Monoceros to give you a ride, but you know he doesn't like being ridden." At the thought of the unicorn- who looked more like something from a nightmare with his dark coat and ethereal appendages- the pair shuddered and continued on their way.

"I was thinking Pyxis," she challenged with a teasing gleam in her eyes. "He uses less magic than you do _and_ he'll be helpful in finding both the quickest way to Fiore as well as my next job _instead _of questioning my financial decisions."

"Don't be mean," Leo scolded childishly, pouting at the laughter that spilled through the air.

* * *

She had made a mistake, Lucy realized with a horrified gasp for air, her shattered ribs screaming in protest as she dragged her limp body away from the lake, fringe soaked from when the dark mage had attempted to drown her. Aquarius was still back there, the man caught in a vortex of scalding water that- for once- refused to even brush past the blonde who was far too injured to deal with the thrashing, the keys in her hand heating almost uncomfortably as they all fought for her attention, wanting to be sure she was alright despite how exhausted she was. She could hardly feel the drain the water spirit had on her magic, the pain in her body drowning it out, perhaps, and she made a snap decision as her broken leg knocked against a rock, making the blonde scream in agony. "Aquarius," she pleaded through her sobs, the mermaid by her side in an instant. "Will you get me to the nearest town? I have to heal." Despite her worry, the cerulean haired spirit nodded, scooping up the blonde as carefully as she could- no matter how often she snapped at or injured the girl, she was so fond of the mage that had become something of a niece to her- and hurrying off in search of civilization. The moment they were there and the blonde was once more on the ground, a hand pressed against her chest while the other found her leg- both areas screaming in agony- and she pushed her magic from her hands back into her body. _"Naosu."_ Pain like no other raced through her, bones grinding as her magic rushed through her, using her knowledge on anatomy to redesign the fragments of bones and arteries, her body reshaping under the care of her own magic, draining her so suddenly that Aquarius disappeared with a shocked gasp. Everything grew still for a single moment before the spirit returned once more, glaring towards the heavens when a deep voice chided her.

"Oh, screw off. Damn you if you think I'm gonna leave my brat alone like this," she snapped, irritable. Not even the Celestial Spirit King dared anger her further, deciding to allow her passage through the gate this once, his own heart aching as he watched over the mage from the heavens- the same mage that grew into a woman reminiscent of her mother, his old friend, each day- a woman they were all proud to protect, even him.

When she awoke three days later, on her birthday no less, she was alone save the new key clasped in her hands- she nearly scoffed at how princessly she had been positioned, only a spirit's key in her grasp instead of a bouquet. When she had summoned the spirit, she was surprised to find a silver dragon the size of her forearm with a fiery temper and fierce protective streak- one that became a near constant companion.

* * *

"Finally!" a soft voice cooed out, joyous laughter bubbling from her lips as she stretched her arms over her head as she stood on the ledge of the ravine that encircled Clover Town, which could only mean one thing. "We made it, Nyra! We're back in Fiore!"

"And it only took a year," the dragon spirit scoffed, grouchy from being out for so long despite lounging lazily across the blonde's shoulder. "Find somewhere to stay now. You need at least a week of rest, understood?"

"Sure thing!" the blonde chirped out, obviously distracted. When the dragon nipped at her shoulder, she jumped and nodded eagerly, "Okay, alright! A week's rest! But I will be looking for jobs and magic stores. Physical rest I can do, but I can also use this time to grow magically. Just after a nice warm bath or something." She grinned excitedly, squealing as she hugged her keys to her chest. "We made it. We actually made it!" Despite herself, Nyra smiled and swung her tail back and forth lazily, allowing the mage a moment to celebrate. It cost her nearly ten months and years off her life, but Lucy made it back to Fiore with more than a few new spirits to help her survive in the new reality she had, one full of danger she couldn't even begin to fathom and joys she hadn't felt since the loss of her mother.

* * *

There was a brief moment in which the air grew still near the base of the stairs, several rowdy mages further away from the bar ignoring the rosy haired teenager as he stopped in front of the steps to the second floor, as if expecting that massive hand to descend upon him as he took the first step slowly- as it so often had. It didn't, however, and so the male continued upward, pride lighting up his eyes even as his mouth remained in a grim line. He reached the second floor, pausing to stare at the snowy haired female curled up on one of the benches, her sapphire eyes showing so much pain that he had to look away, his heart constricting as he became aware of the tear stains decorating her face- he had been able to hear her sobbing whenever he'd been near the second floor, and yet she had always remained hidden, until now. Instead of comforting her as his instincts screamed to, he moved to the corkboard along the back wall, plucking the paper with the lowest number on it and storming back out of the building, onyx eyes blazing dangerously as he attempted to reign in his emotions, his only companion a quiet cerulean cat that hovered by his head.

* * *

**Hey there! I would like to begin this by saying thank you everyone for your support and understanding. I know this isn't quite what I promised, I definitely had other things I wanted to include, but I literally wrote this entire chapter within the past few hours and I've been trying to write it for literal months. Also, I'm insanely sick, so I'll try to knock out some chapters before I go back to working all the time, but I won't make any promises. Hopefully I can update once a week, but again, no promises. Other than that, let me know what you guys think! Also, if you like my writing style and not just the story, I have a couple ideas you guys could vote on. Let me know if you want to do that! If you have anything to say, you can PM me or review. If you have suggestions, I'd love to hear them! If you just want to catch up or talk, let's talk! **

**Okay, that's it for me! See ya later!**

**Cafe Passionne **


	2. Chapter two

**Chapter two**

If there was one thing most members of the Fiorean branch of the Magic Council could agree on, it was that they liked silence. A quiet conference room meant peace within the magic world, even if it was only the elderly mages of the Council ignoring the paperwork for a moment to enjoy a cup of tea together. That being said, with the integration of younger mages, they found themselves coming across it less and less. It was one of those rare moments of quiet, peace overtaking the room as the elderly mages flicked through their newspapers, magazines, and copies of official documents, though the noise came slowly- irritatingly slow. It began with long fingernails tapping softly against the granite tabletop, fractions of a beat passing between the drop of each finger, and the dark haired female kept the sounds soft enough that no one could snap at her for it, no one really focused on it. It wasn't until the tapping stopped- and the old mages heaved out an inaudible sigh of relief- that she dropped a crystal marble onto the table instead, flexing a miniscule amount of her magic to send the sphere rolling around the table. All eyes snapped up, glaring at her and that little cocky smirk she wore on her crimson painted lips, as the marble passed by them, several eyebrows beginning to twitch as the sphere shattered, pieces falling noisily to the stone tabletop and rocking for a moment. "Ultear!" a man snarled out when she silently mouthed a spell, hand tightening into a fist and melding the pieces back together, "Stop playing around during the meeting!"

"But I'm bored," she hummed out monotonously, her voice equal parts silken and fruity. She turned her dark eyes, shadowy pools with flakes of garnet and copper, to the cobalt haired man she always seemed to hover around, a playful look coming across her face as she batted her dark eyelashes. "Aren't you as well, Seigrain-sama?"He gave out a low hum as he dropped his own newspaper, the headline screaming about some fire or another that everyone in Fiore surely knew the origin of without reading the story.

"Yeah," he chuckled out as the papers settled, his fingers plucking up the marble and flicking it into the air. "I'm bored, too." He watched the carefully cultivated anger as it grew, throwing and catching the marble as a slow smile spread across his face, using years of practiced innocence to throw everyone off of his trail for just a moment. "I hope someone causes some kind of trouble."

The pair relished in the chaos that ensued. "Watch your mouth!"

"How could these _brats_ become Council members?"

"It's 'cause our magical power is high," Seigrain hummed out, tacking on a near silent, "senile old buffoon," that sent the old man across from him reeling.

"Silence! All of you!" the chairman bellowed out, slamming the butt of his staff against the ground as the tassels decorating it chimed together inaudibly. "The magical world is always filled with more problems than we can handle, so let us begin with the ones we _especially_ want to take care of." He let out a sigh, using his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose as his features aged exponentially. "Those idiots at Fairy Tail."

* * *

A shrill whistle blared as the train pulled to a halt, the passenger cars rocking as a hoard of people stood and made their way onto the landing pad, men and women tugging their luggage from the overhead compartments and bypassing a young man with punch colored hair, a cerulean cat standing beside him and watching silently as he gagged on the floor of the train. They had decided to catch a ride to Hargeon as a very last minute decision and, as such, the train had already been packed by the time they had boarded, leaving the severely motion sick man to slump down near the door and curl in on himself as workers bustled past him. "Excuse me?" one of the workers- the conductor, by the looks of it- stuttered out, eyeing him warily. "Sir, are you okay?"

"Aye," the cat chirped out in a small voice, waving off his concern as a man went wandering past, whistling a tune and looking down in sympathy when the rosy haired man let out a pitiful moan. "This happens all the time." The conductor ducked out onto the landing pad, calling for riders headed to Akane, and the pair found themselves alone.

"I'm never ridin' a train," the man snarled out, smoky voice slurred as he fought back another round of bile that threatened to come up his throat. "Ever again."

"You say that every time, Natsu. Now c'mon. Let's go," the cat called out, practically skipping as he exited the train. "If the info we got is right, Salamander should be in this town"

"Just, lemme rest for a while." Neither of them seemed to notice as the bouncing of the car stopped, the passengers mumbling excitedly to themselves as they prepared for their vacations to Akane, the feline only really noticing when he stepped out of the train and was met with an empty landing pad, glancing behind him to warn his companion as another blaring whistle filled the air and the train began rolling forward, Natsu shrieking for help as he disappeared.

"It already departed," the cat hummed out, not too worried as he sprouted a pair of angelic wings and took off after the train.

* * *

Doe eyes lifted from the map in her hands, eyeing the building before her warily for a moment before flickering back down to the paper, noting the comically drawn building and the eerily similar signs before heading out a sigh. She folded the tourist map- she had quite a collection in her care at this point- and stepped into the building labeled as _Magic Store 3ZX3 - Hargeon's only magic store_. It was obviously a Council run magic store- they put one in every town with the same basic items to appease traveling mages when the town's population lacked the mages to run a thriving economy based on magic stores alone- but it was as good as she was going to get, and since it was her seventeenth birthday, she had saved up quite a sum to get herself some new material. "Hello, welcome in," an ancient old man croaked out shakily from behind the counter, waving with a kind smile on his face. "How may I assist you, young lady?"

"I'm currently just browsing," she hummed out, doing everything within her power to remain polite- it wasn't _his_ fault Hargeon was a fishing town and not very magically advanced. She turned her attention to the shelves lining the back wall, skimming through the books with as much enthusiasm as she could muster, losing herself in the foreign text of a Desiertan book- a fire themed book, it looked like- before hesitantly snatching up a Perde nullification pamphlet as well, wrinkling her nose in distaste at the memories the language brought to her before placing a couple more books in the crook of her elbow and moving on.

"We have some new items as well, missy," the old man chirped out as she plucked up a pair of magically enhanced jeans, cautiously placing them over her forearm before turning away from the clothing all together. "This 'colors' magic is probably the most popular among girls. Depending on your daily mood, you can change the color of your outfit." He began to demonstrate, and she offered him a weak smile, having already purchased one of those little booklets a few months prior.

"I'm afraid I already have one, sir," she mumbled before picking up a small lacrima, inspecting it for a moment before swapping it out for a different one. "I'm actually looking for gate keys, powerful ones if you have any."

"Celestial magic? That's not very common," he said slowly, pointing to a few display cases in the center of the room regardless. "I don't believe we have anything strong, just-"

"Canis minor!" she cheered out suddenly, nearly dropping her purchase in her haste to sink her hand into the protective lacrima. "I've been looking everywhere for it!" She only retracted her hand when the silver key was in her grasp, spinning around and laying out her purchase with such pure joy that the old man- with features more boarish than human, honestly- was taken aback for a moment. "How much will this all be?"

"Forty thousand jewels," he stated confidently after a moment, not even reaching for the paper bags- not many teenagers carried around that kind of money.

"Forgive me, I must have misheard something. How much did you say it was, sir?"

"I said forty thousand jewels." She hesitated only a moment, leaning forward with only her forearm between her well endowed chest and the counter, her cleavage showing through the dangerously low cut top with a rather fancily embroidered neckline- something she was forced to stitch up after a particularly nasty fight a while back.

"I wonder how much it's _really_ worth, mister," she purred out so silkily, a rosy hue sprouted instantly on his wrinkled features.

* * *

Lucy stood beside a crate, the bag with her purchase resting atop the wood as she began to transfer the objects into her bag, pausing to slip the silver key onto the keyring at her hip before folding up the bag and sending it off into the pocket dimension linked to her backpack and slipping the bag onto her shoulders once more. The spirit curled around the shell of her ear flicked her tail lazily, the heart hanging from the blonde's earlobe swinging when it was knocked into. "I can't believe I paid thirty five thousand jewel at a Council run magic shop," she sighed softly, yanking the waistband of her skirt up with a disapproving look towards the loose fabric. "And my skirt's too big? Great."

"I told you to eat before going to the magic shop," Nyra chided lightly, a low growl rumbling in her chest. "That stupid old man only knocked off five thousand jewels. He's probably never seen someone as hot as you are in his life! To think he had the audacity to only give you a five thousand jewel discount! He probably wasn't thinking because all of his blood was in his-"

"Nyra!" the blonde scolded gently, ignoring the strange looks shot her way as she continued along the cobblestone road. "It was kind of him to even give me a discount. He could get in trouble for marking everything as damaged, especially because he sold me a _Celestial gate key_." She heaved out a sigh as she passed by a diner, the scents enticing her for a moment before she turned the corner and found herself face to face with a growing crowd, every single person within the crowd screaming for attention. "What's going on over there?"

"There's a famous mage in town! It's Salamander-sama!" a woman squealed as she darted past the blonde, nearly knocking into her.

"Salamander? Isn't that the fire mage that began gaining popularity about a year back?" she asked her spirit, who huffed out that she didn't know. "I'm pretty sure they always blame those fires that sprout up around Fiore on him. Apparently he controls fire magic that can't even be bought in stores. Since he's in town, we should see if he has any tips for an independant mage, or maybe see if he'd be willing to lead us to a guild. Surely he knows the best one, right?"

"If you're so curious, just go check it out," Nyra grumbled, though they both eyed the crowd warily for a moment. "You can always walk away, you know. No one else will know you even thought about it."

"I can't run forever," Lucy sighed, making her way towards the mob with a tremble to her limbs.

* * *

It was uncomfortably humid in Hargeon, the pair realized the moment they had begun exploring their destination- even more so than Akane, and Akane was famous for its beach. The air reeked of mildew and salt, which meant the boy with an unusually sharp sense of smell was cursed to wander around with the nauseating scents and a still uneasy stomach. "I can't believe you ended up riding the train twice," the cat mumbled, eyeing a fish vendor as they passed by it. "You're really bad with transportation."

"I'm hungry," he groaned out, his stomach giving a noisy rumble as the restaurant on the corner sent delicious aromas into the air.

"We don't have any food money," the feline said solemnly, shooting an apologetic look to the roset. They walked around in silence for another minute or two before the cat shot a nervous look towards the scowling man. "Hey, Natsu. They probably meant Igneel when they said Salamander, right? I mean, I can only think of Igneel when I hear Salamander." For a moment, the man softened his facial expression, running a hand through his wild hair and nodding.

"That's what I thought, too," he mumbled out, a smile crossing his face as he readjusted the scale patterned scarf to sit below his chin once more. "I feel a little better now."

"We finally found him!" the cat chirped out as they stumbled across a crowd, his tail flicking around wildly. "See! Speak of the devil!" Without waiting for a game plan, the feline went darting off into the crowd, weaving through legs and crying out, "Igneel! Igneel!"

Across the crowd, Lucy found herself staring at the strange admiral haired man, her pulse beating erratically in her ears, the sweet tenor of his voice nearly making her melt where she stood. His laughter bounced around in her ears, and she found she didn't know enough languages- perhaps there weren't enough in existence- to describe him, to name how perfect he was. "What's happening to me?" she breathed out, forgetting for a moment that Nyra was on her ear, though the dragon nipped the cartilage of her ear, shocking her away from her fantasies.

"He has Charm," she hissed out dangerously, enraged that there was a haze over her mage. "We have to get out of here, Lucy, before he sees us."

"Too late," she squeaked, his honey eyes locking onto her as a disgusting smirk came across her face. "What do we do? We can't just leave everyone, Nyra. It isn't their fault he's using illegal magic."

"Igneel!"

"You have to worry about yourself, Lucy," the dragon pleaded, growing anxious as she crawled down to the blonde's shoulder.

"Igneel!"

"We can't leave them!"

"Igneel!" Everything grew silent in a heartbeat, the rosy haired male busting through the wall of adoring fans a moment behind his blue furred companion, who stared at Salamander in disappointment. "Who are you?" The admiral haired mage recoiled in shock, a few of the girl letting out heartbroken whines at his expression.

"Who am I?" he scoffed out, honeyed voice carrying a dangerous edge to it. "You may know me as _Salamander_." The blonde nearly snorted at his theatrics, her spirit huffing out irritably, though that didn't stop them from trying to move back through the crowd- though it became frighteningly apparent that Salamander had his eye on the blonde when he took a step to gain back some of the space between them. "Hey, where are you going?"

Lucy couldn't be entirely sure who he had said it to, the man lunging for her while his fangirls rounded on the feline and his rosy haired companion, screaming, "Hey, you're so rude!"

"She's right! Salamander-sama is a great mage!"

"Apologize to him!" A pair of hands caught the tail of his scarf, his warning growl- and it was quite literally a _growl_\- dying in his throat as the girl yanked, choking him.

"That's enough, girls. I'm sure he really didn't mean any harm by it," Salamander cooed as his own hand caught the blonde's bicep, yanking her against his side and looking down on her with twisted excitement- a game, she realized quickly. She merely glared up at him as the women fawned over him, singing his praises like he was a god among man. "I appreciate your enthusiastic welcome," he paused to chuckle, the sound dangerous, "but I have some errands to run at the port, so please excuse me. Oh, and before I forget, I'm hosting a farewell party on my ship tonight. I would be positively _delighted_ if you'd all come." He sent a lingering look to the blonde before releasing her and snapping his fingers, a spiral of flames growing beneath his feet and sending him soaring away.

"I can't believe that wasn't him," the cat mumbled, completely dejected and sitting like a child on the ground as the roset rubbed his throat. The fans had dispersed, running off to any clothing shop that sold formal dresses in search of something to wear for the party, and the blonde found herself drawn to the pair- and Nyra, it appeared, was interested as well given how still she had grown as soon as Lucy began walking towards them.

"That guy was all kinds of disgusting," she hummed out, hiding her intimidation as the pair looked at her- all intense dark eyes and unwelcoming features. "Thanks for earlier, you guys. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help you out."

* * *

There was something vaguely familiar about the blonde teenager in front of her- and it definitely wasn't the offputting fact that she had no scent- and Natsu just couldn't put his finger on it. At first, he had thought it was her perfume- someone in the crowd used a familiar perfume that made him wrinkle his nose in distaste- but as they walked towards the restaurant he had been interested in, he realized that there was nothing coming off of her, not even the salty tang that came with living so close to the sea. "My name is Lucy," she hummed out once they had taken a seat, startling into realizing he was a little light headed from how intently he'd been trying to scent her, the male falling back against the booth he was in with an impassive expression.

"I'm Happy and this is Natsu. He doesn't talk much," the feline seated on the table hummed out, scanning through the menu with eyes the size of the moon. It took a moment for Lucy to realize that neither of them were all that talkative, apparently, and she gave a smile as she decided to just get a mocha- a treat she hadn't indulged in for months.

"That Salamander guy was really something. He was using that illegal magic, Charm, despite it being banned several years ago. Could you imagine stooping low enough that you use a magic to attract other people's hearts to the caster? It's truly disgusting. I had just figured it out when you guys came through, and you gave me a moment to gather my thoughts before he was focusing Charm on me." She paused, determined to not be the only one talking- she was a nervous rambler, and the dark gaze pinned on her made her plenty nervous- and found that the cat only spoke again when firing away the man's order, the waitress turning to her after writing out a feast and gaping at her single item order. "I may not look it, but I'm a mage." Irritation became the prevalent emotion, so she snapped her lips closed and reached into her backpack instead. Pulling out that Desiertan book to keep herself from yapping on about how she was going to see if he could get her into a guild, she found her magically enhanced reading glasses and perched them onto her nose before cracking open the spellbook.

With her attention elsewhere, Natsu began studying her. He found out quickly that her lips moved as she read, mouthing out words almost too quickly to be entirely possible, and she was flying through the book quickly enough that he had to wonder just how expensive her scarlet framed glasses were. She was so lost in the words in her book that she didn't realize when the feast had come, nor did she realize how everyone spared them a judgemental look at how much food lay between them. Still, she had no scent, her name drew up no memories, even her face was completely foreign to him. He didn't have a smell to judge- it was very easy to tell when you could smell someone since, for example, Salamander had smelled like burning chemicals and body odor that couldn't be drowned out no matter how strong of a cologne he wore. "Why," he asked, voice faltering when she jumped hard enough to smack her knees on the table, big brown eyes flickering up to his face while her breath caught in her throat, "d'ya go see him anyways?"

"Oh, well, I was thinking earlier that I would have to join a guild soon, anyways," she hummed out, cautiously setting down her book and taking a long sip of her coffee. "Almost as soon as I'd thought that, some girls flew past me talking about him, and Salamander is a rather well known mage. Surely _he_ would know a guild I could join." The smile slipped off of her face, her hands busying themselves by removing the glasses from her face and putting both them and the book in her suspiciously flat bag. "I guess I'll have to keep looking around myself. What a disappointment." She paused, taking another long drink of her coffee before her slender eyebrows furrowed. "Hey, weren't you guys looking for someone earlier?"

"Igneel," he answered curtly, glancing down at Happy to see him shoving as much of a fish into his mouth as physically possible. "He's the dragon that raised me."

"A dragon?" she mumbled, confusion clouding over her features for a moment. "What business would the first dragon in Ishgar have in Hargeon? Besides, wouldn't sight of a dragon be a bit more broadcasted?" Once she noticed the defeated acceptance on the roset's face- the cat looked comical with his shock, not that she could focus on that when there was heartbreak so clearly in front of her- she waved her hand dismissively in front of her face. "Don't mind me. What do _I_ know of dragons?" A huffed snort sounded in her ear, almost making her squeal in shock- how could she forget Nyra was still there?- and she quickly finished her coffee, eager to leave to avoid offending them further. "I'd better be on my way. I have to figure out what move to make next- find a guild or head to another country. You two are free to stay as long as you'd like though." Fishing into her bag and missing the obvious panic that suddenly consumed Natsu- he was growing fond of her, and it certainly helped how closely to gold her blonde hair was colored- she threw down a wad of jewels and stood up. "This should be enough to cover the bill. Thank you both again."

"Wait!"

"Thank you for the meal!" Natsu had to focus on hiding the deadly snarl that wanted to rip out of his throat as Happy's small voice somehow overpowered him, and he reminded himself that he was grateful that Happy had some semblance of manners- Natsu was _certainly_ rude enough for the both of them. The blonde waved off their gratitude, disappearing through the door as the cat looked back with a small question of, "Natsu?"

"I hate my dragon instincts," he hissed out, slamming his forehead against the table and scaring the occupants of the neighboring table.

* * *

**Okay, so first thing's first, you are all amazing! Like absolutely, positively amazing! Honestly, this story has blown up, and I mean this whole rewritten and the original. When I first started writing this, I had a completely different idea in mind, but I've been going back and forth with a few people and we've all come up with new ideas that I think would help keep this from being too unrealistically happy. The support I'm getting for this is honestly making me emotional- I literally started crying when I read half of these reviews and I honestly can't wait to post this (it's getting posted at midnight so it's still technically Monday).**

**Secondly, I'm thinking of working on a couple different stories at once. Did you guys want me to do that, or would you rather me pour all of my creative effort into this story and do updates twice a week instead? I have some ideas already going (vampire, high school, zombie, island vacation, gangster, etc.) and I can start working on those more intently since I have a few chapters of this story already done, or if you guys want to see something specific, I could do that too. Or even just a collection of oneshots that you guys decide on. I'm up for whatever, and I'll let you guys know what music influenced chapters/ideas (this one is a mainly Natural by Imagine Dragons. That's such a Fairy Tail song).**

**Also, if you guys have any ideas for spells you think would be useful (I have to update the spellbook sooner or later) let me know! Just little things, and Lucy doesn't have to be the one to know them! **

**Let me know what you guys think!**

**By the way, you all should know that in a single week, this story has gotten over four hundred views, and that's a record for me and it wouldn't be possible without every single one of you! Thank you so much!**

**Reviews!**

**Arcadea333, thank you so much! Don't worry, you'll definitely be getting more. I have great plans for this story, and I'll be damned if try number two fails. **

**ProbablyEpsilon, it makes me so happy to hear you've been looking forward to this! Thank you so much! Is there anything in particular you'd like to see me write?**

**DreamWeaver2121, thank you so much! I really loved the first one, too, but I got stuck and tried to reread it to give me motivation, but I didn't get very far before new ideas started popping up. I have great plans for this story- though some of them probably won't seem too great for a long while. **

**Bakers28, thank you so much!**

**BookGirl18, I appreciate that so much! Be excited!**

**Nanami B, I'm glad you're happy to see this story! I'm happy to be back! Thank you so much for your concern! I figured Gildarts seems like someone to throw money at people living on the streets, because it's mentioned several times that he's ranked higher than an S-class, and even S-class mages are insanely wealthy due to how dangerous their jobs are. Gildarts has threadbare, ratty clothes and a really small, barren house, so what else would he do with his money? Obviously help other people with it! The part with Natsu is after Lisanna's death, it's after he had gone away to train to deal with his emotions- he does it when Igneel dies and he does constant jobs before he has someone to help mellow out his erratic emotions, so I figured he would train to deal with it- and he becomes an S-class mage. That was his first time on the second floor, his first time seeing one of the strongest kids his age hiding away and crying, the first time he realized his own strength- both emotionally and physically. Thank you so so so much! I love you!**

**PrettyPansexual, ugh you're amazing and I love you so much! **

**AlyDragneel, I would hate to delete the original, because it was my baby. This one is definitely already turning out better and I'm so proud of how many people think so as well! I'm definitely willing to put in more constellations because it's kind of weird how she goes from three gold keys to having ten but she only gets one silver key the entire series? And the gold are rare? Unrealistic. You mentioned Cetus and Canes Venatici, so I'll definitely try to include them! Are there any others you want to see?**

**AliciaCevbra, thank you! I worked on trying to better my writing while I was away! Thank you so much!**

**Melancholy's Sunshine, thank you honey!**

**LoVeStAr14, first of all, I cried when I read your review. I'm just gonna say that right off the bat. Happy tears, of course. I'm so glad that you enjoyed the original enough to check out the rewrite! Okay, and just imagine how great it will be, everyone's been talking about how dangerous he is, the whole town shifts to keep him from destroying anything, and Lucy just walks up and smacks him on the head with a big smile on her face before proudly declaring she made it into Fairy Tail and it takes him a minute but he demands they celebrate and starts dragging her out of the guild hall and everyone tries to beat his ass cause they don't know what's going on but they assumed he was perverse towards her before she came to the guild and she has to save him again. I don't think you're ready for Loke and Leo meeting, I really don't. I'm not even ready for their reuinion. I'm so excited but I'm not ready. I can definitely include dreams/flashback/stories, but I don't think I'll do anything like the first chapter again- I'm not that creative when it comes to jobs. Hoarder!Natsu is the best Natsu and literally everyone needs it in their lives. I am honored to help people come to that realization. Gajeel and Wendy are most definitely going to be more feral, along with Sting, Rogue, Cobra, and Laxus. Literally every dragon slayer is going to be an instinctual little shithead and you will all love them. I promise that.**

**Yoru no Nx, you're so precious! I was proud of the original of this fic, but I definitely am feeling more inspired by this one. I'm sure you guys will love it!**

**N.I, thank you for the welcome! You really don't have to thank me! You're support is amazing and I love it and I love you! I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting this long! Thank you so much! If you have any themes or ideas you want me to try out, feel free to let me know and I'll definitely try to get that going! I think her journey is extremely important, the same for Natsu and every other mage in Fairy Tail. There are little things I have established already- I have decided on or found the birthdays for most of the members and have them written down somewhere along with snippets of their pasts. I wanted this to be a more realistic story, especially emotionally. When I first began writing the original, I was in a terrible place emotionally, and I wanted something out there that helped assure others like me that they weren't alone, and that they could make the best of whatever situation they are in. It's hard, but it's possible, and that's all I want to convey. Everyone always seems to forget that magic is finite, that injuries take time to heal, that death will weigh on people for years- and not just family. Hoarder!Natsu is my favorite and I will always be up for Nalu! Here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed!**


	3. Chapter three

Chapter three

It was nearing evening, this much Lucy was certain of as the light began to grow into a rosier hue and tiny little fairy lights began to come out of hiding, dancing slowly through the air around her and lingering around the magazine she held in her hands, as if content with supplying her light while the lacrimas stationed by each park bench took their time in turning on. A few of the larger orbs of magic ventured towards the dragon spirit still resting along her ear, playfully being swat by the small tail before coming back once more. "It looks like Fairy Tail caused trouble again," she hummed out, a joyous lilt to her voice that always seemed to appear when she spoke of the guild. It was her dream guild, after all- the first she had ever really heard of outside of whispers she wasn't meant to hear- and the strength of their mages- even if it was mainly displayed through destruction- enticed her.

"What is it this time?" Nyra hummed out impassively, if only to appease the female. The spirit swatted another of the fairy lights away, soft humming coming from the bright magic as it continued its playful orbit.

"They destroyed the Devon thief family, but also destroyed seven other houses that belonged to the townspeople." The judgemental hum the dragon supplied earned a soft laugh from the blonde, who flicked through the pages of the newest edition of Sorcerer Weekly, pictures of a beautiful woman- snowy hair that cascaded down her back in gentle waves, creamy skin that seemed to hold few blemishes despite the years she had spent as a working mage, owlish sapphire eyes that were half lidded more often than not- taking up pages upon pages of the thick booklet. "It looks like they asked Mirajane to cover the gravure."

"They typically do when the rowdier mages cause trouble," Nyra pointed out sourly. "I wonder if someone so gentle would be so reckless, too." The pair eyed the picture of the model using some simple spell to push a small stream of water from her palm, the liquid running along her forearm as well as spilling through her fingers and over the sides of her palm before rejoining the reckless waves around her.

"I wonder how someone goes about joining Fairy Tail," the blonde mumbled distractedly, flipping the page to see yet another spread of the fair haired mage. "I mean, do I have to learn stronger magic? And I wonder what the interviewing process will be like. Fairy Tail is the best, after all. They won't just let anyone in." Before Nyra could point out- _yet again_\- that they'd never know until she tried- which would have begun the whole debate on if they should really stay in Fiore for a guild or head straight to Enca on the next ship under a fake name- the bushes behind the blonde rustled, fairy lights darting off as Salamander emerged.

"I see you want to join Fairy Tail," he said quickly, looking rather disheveled with twigs and leaves sticking out of his hair and hanging on his clothes. To the blonde's credit, she didn't so much as flinch, heaving out a long sigh as she closed the magazine and slid it into her backpack. "I've been looking all over for you, dear! I really wanted to invite such a beautiful lady as you to our party on the ship."

"Let me tell you beforehand that your Charm won't work on me anymore. The weak point of the _illegal_ magic is understanding, and since I'm aware of it, the magic is useless on me," she spat out, voice hostile and uninviting.

"I knew it! I knew you were a mage when our eyes met!" he cried out in joy, sliding into the seat beside her. "I really don't need the Charm to enjoy someone's company. I would just be happy if you came to the party at all."

"There's no way I would ever attend the party of such a despicable guy," she countered swiftly, shouldering her bag and standing quickly. "You used Charm, an _illegal_ _magic_ that alters the mind of the affected. Are you really that desperate to get popular?" He was chasing after her, leaves raining from his shoulders.

"That's only a trail. I just want to feel like a celebrity at my own party!" he called after her. "Wait up!"

"You're an idiot," she stated blandly, not even sparing him a backwards glance. "You would have to revise your entire history and personality before being considered an even remotely popular mage."

"Hang on! You said you wanted to join Fairy Tail, right?" he huffed, enjoying the way she halted her steps, long hair settling against her back as she bit her lip. "Haven't you ever heard of Salamander _of Fairy Tail_?" The way the words rolled off his tongue jogged a memory, and she heaved out a sigh while turning to face him, her shoulders deflated.

"I have," she admitted slowly. "I was just hoping that they hadn't accepted such a nasty mage into their guild. I suppose I don't even _want_ to join Fairy Tail anymore now that I'm aware it's filled with mages like _you_."

"Don't be so harsh," he chided lightly. "I'm willing to talk to the Master for you, if you'd like. I'm sure Mirajane would like you, as well, maybe even get you a spread in Sorcerer Weekly." She cringed at the mere idea of her face being displayed in such a popular tabloid, but she had to admit that it was flattering how desperately he was fighting for her approval, her attention essentially.

"I won't give you a definitive answer quite yet," she reluctantly said, ignoring the furious hiss in her ear. "I suppose it wouldn't kill me to go to this party, though. It's only for a night." The reasoning was more for Nyra than Salamander, and as such she missed the almost wicked smile that passed over his face at her last sentence.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about Charm," he requested, though he quickly decided by her blank look that she would be promising no such thing. He began to think of precautions, deflating at the extra preparations she was forcing him to make, before giving her a dazzling smile and calling upon his flames to carry him away once more. "I'll see you at the party, then. Meet me at the dock as dusk! And dress nicely!"

"You fell for a pseudo Charm," Nyra snarled the moment he was gone, the blonde rolling her eyes and making her way back to the inn she had booked a room in.

"I most certainly did not," she argued softly. "I just decided that the benefits outweigh the cautions. Besides, Nyra, I'll have you there the whole time as well as my other keys. I'll also be expecting whatever he wants to throw at me, so nothing too bad will happen." A soft smile crossed her features as she looked down at her feet, a small skip to her step. "Besides, if everything works out, I'll only have to play decently until that idiot gets me into Fairy Tail. If the guild is everything I hoped for, I turn him into the authorities and spend my days with strong mages. If not, we bail and head to Enca." Even the spirit had to admit that she had a solid plan, though neither of them seemed to remember that Nyra had been out all day already, and it was such a common event that the blonde couldn't even feel the strain that was on her magic- though there was certainly one there.

* * *

"I can't believe that Luigi girl left so much money at the table," Happy hummed out, balancing along a rickety looking railing as the pair looked out over the town. "She must be a really strong mage to have so much money. We got to eat so much!" Silence reigned over the pair for a moment as Natsu stopped walking, sharp eyes scanning over the town of Hargeon once again- looking for the blonde, the feline realized solemnly. They- obviously- didn't see Lucy, though an obnoxiously bright ship leaving the harbor drew their attention time and time again. "Oh yeah. That Salamander guy said he'd be having a party on a ship. I wonder if that's the one." He peeked over, watching a bead of sweat roll down Natsu's temple, and he was once again reminded of just how _severe_ his friend's motion sickness is. "Don't get sick just by imagining being on a boat."

"Look at that!" a girl chirped, her ebony hair chopped to messily rest around her face bobbing as she came to a stop at the railing. "That's the ship Salamander-sama is having his party on! Man, I really wanted to go, too!"

"Salamander?" her friend asked, quirking a rosy eyebrow and propping her elbow against the railing. "Why would you want to go to a party hosted by some creep who calls himself _Salamander_?"

"You really don't know who Salamander-sama is?" the dark haired one asked. "Salamander-sama is an amazing mage visiting town. I heard he's even a part of that famous guild Fairy Tail!"

"Fairy Tail?" Natsu hummed out, eyes narrowing as he studied the boat- and attempted to ignore the sudden rolling in his stomach at the thought of being out on the sea. "A mage of Fairy Tail."

* * *

Stars peered down from the ebony blanket that had become the night sky, little winking diamonds of light that seemed almost worried as a smattering of fairy lights danced along the surface of the water alongside a lavish boat. Women of all shapes, sizes, and ages mingled about aboard the deck, sipping expensive wine and chattering amongst themselves in soft tones that the waves easily overpowered. The only woman not in the open air wished so desperately to be that it nearly ached, her gaze tearing away from the window when the salty breeze began to sting her eyes. Salamander sat behind her on one of the couches- a pair of matching cream sofas facing each other in the middle of the rug with a sturdy table between them. "Lucy, hm?" he hummed out as she returned to her own seat, dropping her ornate purse on the cushion beside her- a show that he clearly wasn't welcome to sit next to her. "That's such a pretty name."

"Thank you," she said, her tone bored as she adjusted her skirt- cursing the slit that ran from the hem of her floor length dress up to her hip. When her pale skin was hidden once more, he stood from his own seat, snatching the bottle he had uncorked upon her arrival- she had shown up nearly half an hour before the other girls and was immediately ushered into the cabin- and pouring the mulberry liquid into a pair of glasses.

"Let's toast with a glass of wine, Lucy," he purred out.

"What do we have to toast to?" she snapped, irritation thinly veiled. "Besides, don't you have to attend to the other girls?" She was ready to strangle him already, and it hadn't even been an hour- though, to her credit, he hadn't left her alone for even a single moment since she had boarded the ship, and even he couldn't think of anymore topics to carry a conversation with her, not that she had made it easy or anything.

"Don't worry about them, they'll be alright. I feel like drinking with you for a while," he countered, a little too quickly for her liking. "Watch this." He shot her a wink and snapped his fingers, chanting, _"Levantar por levitación."_ Pearls of wine rose from the glass, a hiss immediately sounding in her ear as her eyes went to work on skimming the rings on the hand he had snapped with. "Just try opening your mouth. Beads of wine will slowly float onto your tongue." There it was, his ring finger.

"Do you take me for a fool?" she asked, smacking away the wine and ignoring the way drops fell from her skin as well as splattered to stain the light carpet. "What are you planning? I can see the sleeping charm on your finger, and it's pretty basic knowledge that the spell you used is meant to incorporate outside magics." She gritted her teeth, snatching the strap to her bag and shouldering it with a fierce glare on her face. "Don't misunderstand me. I would love to join Fairy Tail, but I have no intentions of becoming your girl or being your magical experiment or whatever. I'm not relying on you to set me up for the rest of my life and I can find a different guild if this is what Fairy Tail stands for."

There was a moment of silence before he let out a twisted scoff, shooting her a dark look. "Oh, so you've got it all figured out now, hm?" he asked mockingly. "You're a bad girl, you know. If you were to just sleep peacefully, you wouldn't have had to get hurt." She didn't even get a moment to process his words, gritting her teeth as large hands came down and clamped around her biceps, yanking her arms away from her body and keeping her standing just before the couch as a parade of men came lumbering in, carrying unconscious women over their shoulders.

"Good job, Salamander-sama! We haven't had such a pretty one in a while!" one of the burly men holding her cheered out enthusiastically, studying her features as she glanced silently over her shoulder.

Rough fingers seized her chin, twisting her to face Salamander once more as he sneered darkly towards her. "Welcome to our slave ship, Lucy. I must ask you to remain silent until we get to Bosco." Icy fear raced through her veins- she had passed through Bosco on her way to Fiore and had to make a quick beeline for Seven when she had to fight off the ring on slavers several times- and even Nyra trembled from her place on the blonde's ear. "I brought you on as merchandise from the beginning. Mages fetch a pretty penny on the black market, ya know. People like seein' what lacrimas do to the body. I've heard it's really painful."

"You thought this out well, Salamander-sama!" one of the men hummed out, dropping the pair of girl in his arms- one looking to be no older than fifteen. "When girls are influenced by Charm, they'll fight to become our merchandise!"

"It seems Charm won't work on this lady, though, so we'll just have to train her a little," his buddy added in a cackle.

"If you think I'll let you get away with this, you're sorely mistaken," she snarled, dangerously sharp heel coming down on one of the men's feet. The moment her hand was free, she ripped her keys from the garter on her thighs, crying out in alarm when another man knocked them towards Salamander, who caught them with flourish and studied them for a moment.

"Celestial gate keys. Interesting. And you've got quite a few, too," he hummed out, twirling them around his index finger. "So then you're a celestial spirit mage. Unfortunately, only contracted mages can use this magic, so they're useless to me." Without a care, he flung them out of the window, a smirk decorating his face as he let out a taunting, "Oops."

"Nyra, my keys!" she screamed, the dragon racing off through the window without a moment to spare, a sharp tug to her magic informing the blonde that the dragon had increased her size, a splash resonating as the enraged fire mage snatched a branding iron from the fireplace.

"If you think that little trick can save you, you're mistaken," he snarled, holding out the white hot metal towards her, a Boscan slave symbol glaring back at her, the skin of previous victims leaving a foul smell in the air and smoke wafting from the metal. "Let's just brand you a slave now. Bear with it. It'll be a little hot." He cackled as she was bent over the arm of the couch, biting her tongue to keep from screaming as the laces on the low back of her dress popped open, the force of the men yanking on the delicate silk ruining one of her favorite dresses.

"You're truly a despicable mage!" she screamed as a wave of heat danced across the bare skin of her back. Not a moment later, a loud crash was heard, wood raining from the ceiling and splinters tangling into her hair as the men holding her jumped back, the iron falling and skimming her ankle on the way down. She bit back a whimper, tears lining her lashes as she collapsed onto the floor, kicking the iron into the crowd and burning a few of the men, much to her satisfaction.

"That brat from earlier?" Salamander cried out in shock, and the blonde looked up, recognizing Natsu through her blurred vision and stumbling to her feet.

"Natsu?" she breathed out in disbelief, his eyes flickering to her and something akin to both relief and fury crossing his face when he saw her. His hand flew out, curling around her wrist and tugging her into him, folding himself protectively over her when the boat gave a sudden lurch that sent bile racing up his throat. She squealed under the sudden weight, hands catching his forearms to keep him from sliding down her back- and possibly ripping her dress further. "Motion sickness? Why would you barge onto a boat then?" She shook her head slightly, hand sticking out almost instinctively as Nyra darted back into the cabin, disappearing just before landing in her palm so that only a ring of keys and stardust fell into her grasp. "That doesn't matter. You gave me a distraction and now I just need to dock this ship.

"You mean you aren't concerned by he fell from the sky? We should be halfway to Akane by now, there's no way he could be on here!" Salamander shouted, still eyeing the hole until Happy appeared, angelic wings holding him in the air.

"Lucy, what are you doing here?" the cat asked, obviously confused as to why she was aboard the ship.

"Does it matter right now?" she huffed out, sinking to the ground under the added weight of the roset. Once her knees hit the ground, she let go of his arms, instead concentrating on pushing her magic into the air- and realizing just how much she had used up over the course of the day- curling her fingers up as she chanted out, _"Gyōshuku suru."_ The moisture from the air condensed on her palm, a rather shaky sphere appearing, and the blonde thanked her lucky stars that it held shape, even as the strain of keeping it molded was draining her energy more quickly than she would have liked to admit, so she flicked through her keys quickly and thrust the teeth of a golden one into the water. "Open, gate of the water bearer, Aquarius!"

"Like I'll let you ruin our plans like this!" Salamander shouted over the chiming of a gate opening, a small flare of light masking the arrival of a beautiful mermaid, her cerulean hair slick and an ornamental urn propped against the top of her strong tail. Fire flared towards them, the spirit cutting through it easily with a steady stream of water that drenched everyone opposite of her as the walls of the ship broke apart, Happy sinking down and tucking himself by the mage controlling the tempramental spirit.

"You got yourself into another foolish situation again," the spirit chided darkly, the waves outside crashing restlessly against the boat. "You have the worst luck on your birthday."

"I just want to hop on the next ship to Enca," Lucy whined softly, stiffening slightly when the man draped over her gave something akin to a small whimper and pressed more firmly against her. "Could you take the boat back to Hargeon for me?"

"Don't just stand there! Shoot them!" Salamander screamed, his lackies fumbling for their guns.

"Only since you learned that Encan spell fairly well," Aquarius huffed, a sudden tidal wave crashing into the boat and tipping it, everyone aboard soaring this way and that as salt water flooded the cabin- miraculously staying away from the unconscious females despite nearly drowning the blonde. Lucy smashed into the side of the boat, Natsu slicing his forearm on a twisted nail when he nearly went flying out of one of the holes and Happy yowling when debris knocked him against the couch. By the time they had washed ashore, everyone was trying to gather their bearings on one of the walls and the spirit sank down to rest beside the blonde rubbing her head where a piece of wood had smacked into her and adjusting her dress to cover her breasts more firmly. "Now you listen to me brat, if you so much as _think_ about dropping my key again, I will string you up with your own hair, you got it? Also, don't call me for a week. I'm going on a trip _with my boyfriend_."

"Sure thing," she groaned out, struggling to her feet when Salamander and his band of brutes began moving. The mermaid disappeared in a cloud of stardust, that fell over the blonde and left her with a soft glow. She could hear panic arising from outside, sure that the Rune Knights would soon be on their way, so she decided she had to finish this quickly- and with as little magic as necessary, seeing as she really didn't have much to spare anymore.

"It stopped," Natsu breathed out, relief clouding his smoky tone. "The rockin' stopped." Despite the joyous undertones in his primal voice, his features were furious, quickly putting himself in between where Happy was waddling over to Lucy- looking a little more than half drowned - and the band of dark mages- though how many were actually mages, none of them knew.

"You know, brat, you really shouldn't get on other people's ships without permission. Throw him out quickly!"

"Natsu, be careful!" Lucy cried out, fishing through her keys with a small tremor to her hands, though Happy merely settled down beside her.

"Don't worry, we might have forgotten to mention it, but Natsu's a mage, too," he hummed out, face serious.

"Ya said yer a mage 'a Fairy Tail?" Natsu snarled out as men twice his size charged at him, not looking the least bit bothered as he shed his wet jacket.

"What about it?" Salamander taunted as Happy dragged the jacket back to the blonde, who folded it over her arm, almost on instinct.

"Let me get a good look at yer face." Those dark eyes narrowed drastically, a single hand coming around and smacking the goons together, exposing the ruby guild mark on his shoulder at the same time. "I'm Natsu from Fairy Tail, and I ain't seen ya before!" The pair toppled to the ground, unconscious, and the room was thrown into shocked silence for a moment.

"Natsu's a mage from Fairy Tail?" Lucy breathed out, awe and disbelief clouding her shaky tone.

"That mark! He's real Bora-san!"

"Don't call me by that name, you idiot!"

"Bora," Happy hummed out thoughtfully. "Bora of Prominence. He was banished from a guild called Titan Nose several years ago."

"Even _I've_ heard about him," the blonde tacked on. "He committed several thefts using magic, along with several illegal magics, and got in trouble with the Council. I heard he even evaded arrest a few times."

"I don't care if yer a bastard or a saint. I won't forgive ya for using _our_ name!" Natsu snarled heatedly, smoke curling out from his clenched teeth.

"Like I'd take your threats seriously! You're just a noisy brat!" Bora shouted, flames sprouting from his palm and completely covering the roset.

"Natsu!" Lucy screamed suddenly, lunging towards the cool toned flames without a hint of self preservation- Happy hardly able to keep her back when he snagged her around the waist with his tail and flared his wings.

The flames began to fold in on themselves, as if curling into some vortex, and a raspy voice scoffed out a rather bored sounding, "Awful. Ya really call these flames?" His silhouette appeared, clearly eating the fire that had been intended to char him, and not a single person knew what to do with the information he was capable of such a feat. "I never tasted such shitty fire before." As the last wisps of flames licked out of existence, he shot the shocked blonde a smirk and stuck his tongue out in mock disgust- pride building up in his chest at the stunned giggles that poured out of her.

"Fire doesn't work on Natsu," Happy explained softly as heat began to roll off the young man in waves, so much so that the air around him began to behave abnormally.

"Bora-sama, I know this kid!" one of the goonies cried out, fear leaving him quaking. "Rosy hair and a scale patterned scarf! There's no doubt, he's the real Salamander!" Flames exploded around him, the heat so intense that water began to evaporate off of the pair behind him, and the blonde couldn't keep her eyes on him- both his speed and flames making her look away. By the time she could stand to look back up, everyone was unconscious on the ground and the roset was shaking out his hand, more out of habit than actually trying to shake away pain.

"Eating fire and controlling fire along his entire body," she breathed out, mouth parched and voice cracking. "Is he really a mage?"

"Dragon's lungs made to breathe fire, scales able to withstand flames, and nails to control fire. He uses an ancient spell that makes his body more to a dragon's constitution," Happy explained softly, and the blonde had a passing thought that there was no way the cat knew what half of those words meant. "It was originally a magic to kill dragons. This is what Igneel taught Natsu, dragon slaying magic."

"Well that's a little weird," she mumbled as he went around, making sure no one would give them anymore trouble. "Why would a dragon teach someone dragon interception magic?" Happy froze, shock clear on his face as he tried to come up with something to counter her statement with. In that moment of silence, the blonde watched an ember go soaring off of the burning boat, landing on the roof of a building that went up quickly into flames, like many of the ones around it. "Oh my stars, the port's on fire!"

"What's all this ruckus about?" a deep voice shouted from outside, a quick glance showing off a battalion of Rune Knights racing towards the port.

"Shit," the dragon slayer hissed out, hardly stopping to throw the blonde over his shoulder before hopping off of the boat and racing through the streets, Happy close on their tail. "We gotta go!"

"Why me?" Lucy whined out, nearly losing her bag and his jacket to her surprise, though she snatched them just a moment before they hit the ground, dragging them behind Natsu as he ran.

"Ya wanna join Fairy Tail, right?" he asked, skidding around a corner and heading towards the cover of the trees. "I'll take ya there!" Joyous laughter bubbled from her lips, her consent lost on the wind as they disappeared into the treeline, leaving the warmth of a burning port behind them.

* * *

"Those _idiots_ of Fairy Tail have done it again!" the eldest of the two female Council members shrieked the moment she entered the conference room, slamming a newspaper onto the table- despite the fact it was in front of her seat and everyone already had a copy. "They destroyed half the port! Can you believe it? I wouldn't be surprised if a town disappears one day!"

"Don't jinx it, they really might do that," a weak voice piped up slowly, though it was quickly drowned out.

"Anyways, I reported to the royal family that they did it to arrest the criminal Bora," the chairman said, disagreements running around the table.

"I like those idiots, though," Seigrain hummed out cheerfully, not the least bit bothered. "It's true that they're a bunch of reckless fools, but it's also true that they have many skillful mages, which is why we're at such a loss. It's indeed a tricky subject, but I say just let them be." Outrage rang through the room, old men screaming over one another, though ultimately being overpowered by the bluenet's soothing voice. "If we didn't have those idiots, this world wouldn't be any fun." And for a moment, the Council fell into a silent agreement- their jobs were boring until those destructive mages made a mess of things.

* * *

**Hey guys! First and foremost, I apologize that my author note and review replies will be short. I just spent over an hour and right when I finished my internet crashed and deleted my whole author note. **

**Secondly, I will be doing a couple side stories (they won't be weekly updates, most likely), one which will be a collection of oneshots for this story and the other will be an island vacation type au. If you have any suggestions for the oneshots, vote in the reviews, send me ideas in my PMs, whatever you wanna do!**

**I fixed it! Enjoy!**

**Reviews!**

**Yoru no Nx, Bora is so creepy, but I honestly loved writing his character. I don't know if this was as great of a fight as you expected, but I kinda suck at those. **

**ProbablyEpsilon, you're so cute and supportive, I love you! **

**N.I, thank you so much!**

**19vanelkc, I love you so goddamned much!**

**Melancholy's Sunshine, thank you so much! I agree, Natsu's sudden embarrassment was amazing considering how instinctual he is.**

**Therashae, isn't he though?**

**Littlest1, thank you so much for all of your support!**

**Arcadea333, other stories do help ease away my writer's block, which is really the only reason I suggested other stories**

**DreamWeaver2121, I'm kinda terrible at staying focused, but writing other stories does help me as well, so I'll keep this as my main project and have a couple side projects for when I get stuck in this story. **

**Rere97Maui, welcome to Not Your Average Fairy Tail! I'll probably show Gildarts getting swindled, and more Awkward!Natsu will be coming up soon! **

**LoVeStAr14, Nyra has the abilities of size manipulation and scent masking as far as magical abilities, though she's very good at tracking and hunting as well. I will absolutely be using the Grand Chariot spell with Lucy! That's such an amazing thing that you noticed! **

**SoftKittyPaw, I hope to get these chapters out before you go to school, then!**

**TheOGFTFanatic, if we can all take a moment to be honest with ourselves, is Natsu not just Socially Anxious!Natsu at all times? The idea for Lucy traveling came from Rivendell101's story Berserk, which is a story I'm literally obsessed with at the moment! As for Natsu's trigger being Lisanna's death, he cannonally deals with grief by training his ass off. **

Bakers28**, thank you so much! A lot of the characters will be more realistic, so a lot of the goofiness that comes with their maturities over past traumas will disappear as well. You should definitely write and let me know when it's published! I love reading everyone's ideas!**

Abauers14**, I will definitely publish that island vacation one for you, though I can guarantee it isn't what you're expecting already. **

**HersheyTheGreat, I will try to post a new chapter for this story every Monday. The new oneshot series I post soon will have more background information for characters (both primary and secondary) and I'll definitely show how that bookclub idea was formed and who started it. This story will have a lot of Nalu, so keep an eye out for it in later chapters!**

**PrettyPansexual, I'll probably be putting out at least two more stories shortly, but if you have any ideas you want to see, let me know! Don't worry, Juvia and Wendy will both be using some pretty badass magic.**

**AlyDragneel, I love yo****u so much! Honestly, Lucy got like four golden keys from her fight with Angel and no silver keys, but silver keys are supposed to be more common? Like, okay. I'll definitely add a bunch, some of the officially recognized constellations and some of the more obscure ones. No burden, I love the idea!**


	4. Chapter four

**Chapter four**

It took Lucy a good couple hours to convince Natsu to take a train to Magnolia; the town was as far inland as you could go in Fiore, honestly, and though she wouldn't have minded the days it took to walk there, she was beginning to feel anxious with the silence that surrounded them. So she stood there, forking over a good handful of jewels to pay for three tickets- why Happy wouldn't just hide in one of their bags was beyond her, but she had already agreed to pay- when she realized she was practically down to the money she had sworn to save for her first residence. She found herself hoping that everything worked out alright.

She trailed behind the Fairy Tail mages, Natsu eager to find a bench that was away from the chattering crowd boarding, and hesitantly took a seat across from him when he fell back onto the bench, immediately cringing and curling in on himself against the window.

"I'm sorry," she hummed when a heavy man bobbed the train car. "It should only be a couple hours at most, and we'll be in Magnolia."

"Don't worry about him," Happy dismissed lightly. "He'll be fine as soon as we get off the train."

"Still," she mumbled, worry creasing her brow and contorting her face. "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help." He let out a low whine in the back of his throat as his stomach twisted painfully and nearly folded forward.

She paused for a moment and was glad she had switched out her soaked- ruined- dress for a pair of shorts and an old tank top. She moved to sit beside the dragon slayer and smoothed her hand down along his spine in sympathy. "Would you feel better if you laid down? You can put your head on my lap, if you'd like. I know these seats are pretty dirty, and I wouldn't want my face on them."

"Tha'd be nice," he slurred out breathlessly, sucking down a gasp of air before dropping unceremoniously onto her thighs. "Th'nks."

She hummed out a response, a hand falling to rest against the side of his head. He was hit with her scent for the first time since meeting her, even if it was almost overpowered by the salty stench of the sea. It was soft- almost like that of a wind mage- and there was definitely a scent that he realized must have been stardust. She kind of smelled like desert, too; honey or vanilla, or even strawberries and cream, he wasn't really too sure. He let out a content breath when her fingers curled into the spiked mess of his hair lazily, almost thoughtlessly.

They were silent for a moment, the celestial mage stilling her fingers when the whistle blared and the train began to roll along the tracks, Natsu letting out a pitiful groan.

"To think he took down a band of dark mages on his own in under ten minutes, but he's completely useless as soon as he's on some kind of transportation," Happy tutted out teasingly.

"I would have been a goner if you guys didn't show up," Lucy admitted in a whisper, the cat straining to hear her. "He threw my keys, and there really wasn't a lot I could do until I had them back. He was so close to branding me, too." She glanced warily at the series of boils on her leg right above her ankle, and frowned slightly before tucking it gingerly behind her other foot. "I really owe you guys a lot." She offered him a small smile, bottom lip trembling slightly as the truth settled in: she was nearly branded a slave and sold to some mad scientist trying to test illegal magic and that was the _best_ possible scenario she could come up with.

"Hey, don't be sad," Happy whined out softly, curling into her lap around Natsu's head and kneading at her thighs cautiously. "Nothing like that's gonna happen again."

She screwed her lips shut, refusing to bring the truth of how unlikely that statement was to light and focused on petting the cat.

Her attention began to slip away as she followed her memories down a dark rabbit hole. Her hand unknowingly slipped onto Natsu's head and she raked blunt nails across his scalp, ruffling his hair in very soothing motions. He rumbling sigh of content spill through his nose with wisps of smoke. Her movement stilled as if she just realized where her hand had traveled, and she hurried to set it on the bench beside her. "I'm sorry about that," she whispered, careful not to wake Happy who buried his nose against her abdomen. "I didn't realize-"

"Felt good," he groaned out, taking another deep breath of her scent to try and quell the churning in his stomach. "Didn't mind it." A soft smile crossed Lucy's face as she began massaging his scalp once more- she absolutely refused to think the word _petting_, though that was essentially what she was doing. Minutes passed as soft snores came from the man on her lap, and she found her own eyes growing heavy as the soft sway of the train loosened her muscles. Her head rolled back to rest on the corner of the bench as consciousness left her.

* * *

"Luigi," a soft voice called out, cool paws kneading against her forearm in an attempt to rouse the celestial mage. "Luigi. Time to get up." Her doe eyes snapped open abruptly, Happy nearly jumping off of the bench at the sudden movement- the dragon slayer was really the only person he ever woke up, and it took an eternity to get him to open his eyes at all. "Hey, you're up! That's great! You should wake Natsu up while I grab his bag. I'll meet you out on the platform." Without waiting for a response- he was _sure_ the blonde could handle cranky, barely awake Natsu just fine since he had for _years_\- he zipped off to find where the heavy backpack had slid off to during their journey.

A quick glance outside confirmed that they had reached Magnolia's station while pins and needles beginning to form in her legs as she tried to wiggle her toes.

Fighting back a hiss of pain, she combed her fingers through his messy hair; she had given him quite a few tangles while playing with the spikes. She began rolling her shoulders to work out the kink in her neck and hummed out, "Natsu, it's time to get up." She bit back a yawn for a moment, fighting the urge to arch her back and stretch her stiff joints, and she scratched lightly at the dragon slayer's shoulder. "We're at Magnolia station. If we don't get off, we're going to have to take another train."

His head turned slowly, nose dragging across her thigh in a way that made her muscles tense as she noticed the tired scowl on his face and his half lidded eyes. She spoke even more firmly, "We have to get up."

"Sucks," he slurred out. His dark eyes began to close once more but instead, Lucy wiggled her fingers under his cheek and slowly began lifting his face.

"You can sleep later. We have to get off of the train now," she chided lightly as she stood up, cringing heavily when she put weight on her legs. He grumbled unpleasant things as he sat up and absentmindedly followed her when she picked up her backpack. She made it to the platform after weaving her way through a few loitering passengers, and the conductor ducked in around them.

Happy was sitting there on top of the bag nearly twice his size as he studied the way Natsu trailed a little too closely behind the celestial mage, humming tired responses when she scolded him for stepping on the back of her shoe.

"Took you guys long enough!" he teased lightly as a small pang of jealousy hit him. It was always easier for him to see Natsu's feelings when he was tired; the dragon slayer was already an instinctual person, so when his brain had yet to come to full consciousness, he hardly thought through which instincts to follow and which to ignore.

"Natsu wouldn't get up," Lucy said. Her arms reached above her head as she stretched and a content hum filled the air. The obvious difference between the pair was palpable; yet, they almost had a routine going with the way Natsu trailed half a step behind her and the blonde seeming to double check to make sure he hadn't wandered off. "Who wants to lead the way?"

Natsu and Happy eyed her strangely for a moment. It was morning, maybe seven or eight, which was early for their rowdy guild. Apparently, she was a huge morning person.

"I can lead the way," Happy said slowly, almost unsurely. He hopped off of Natsu's backpack when the dragon slayer began to pick it up. "It's all the way across town."

They began walking, silence enveloping them suddenly and sticking around through most of their journey. The blonde made mental notes of places she wanted to visit- how could anyone walk past that beautiful cathedral and _not_ want at least a day to explore it? She decided quickly that she would go buy a map of Magnolia so she didn't have to bother Natsu and Happy- or anyone else in Fairy Tail, for that matter- any more than absolutely necessary.

It wasn't until they were in front of a building nearly three stories tall with a giant sign reading Fairy Tail that she realized just how close she was to joining her dream guild- the guild that had already helped her so much despite having only met three members of it.

Nerves began to race through her veins as Natsu moved ahead of them, raising his foot and landing a solid kick to the doors while Happy spun around and smiled widely as he cheered out, "Welcome to Fairy Tail!" The wood that probably weighed twice Lucy's own weight flew open easily, slamming into the walls and revealed all of the noise. Talking, laughter, objects being thrown and breaking, the ruckus only began to grow as people realized who was standing in the doorway.

"We're home!" Happy called out, a round of toasts creating a bout of cheers.

"Welcome back, Natsu and Happy!" a beautiful woman called from behind the bar, who anyone in Fiore could name without a second glance. Sapphire eyes met Lucy's startled topaz ones for a second as confusion and grief clouded the sky colored irises for a moment before Mirajane was ducking out from behind the bar, a smile on her delicate features.

"You overdid it again, Natsu! I read about the Hargeon incident in the newspa-" the adenoidal voice didn't get a chance to even finish the word before the rubber sole of a shoe sent the buck toothed mage flying, the other occupants of his table shrieking out in both fear and amusement.

"Ya bastard! Ya gave me fake info 'bout Salamander," Natsu snarled angrily as the snowy haired model passed by, earning a dainty laugh.

"My, we may have to invest in repairing the guild hall so soon since Natsu's back," she observed in a sweet, crystalline voice. "He might just tear the building apart soon."

"What do you mean, Mira? It's already being torn apart!" A tawny haired man screamed out in horror, watching several broken tables and benches clatter noisily to the floor. "Someone needs to stop Natsu!"

"Good luck!"

"Ow, what was that for Happy?"

And as Lucy stood in the threshold, heart hammering as she watched the building fall to chaos as the mages all began to fight, she gave out a breathy laugh and whispered, "I really made it to Fairy Tail." She winced as someone went soaring over her head and ducked down to avoid getting caught by his flailing leg. She wondered briefly if she should try to calm down the dragon slayer who seemed to be riling everyone else up.

"Did someone say Natsu's back?" an inky haired man with a slightly accented voice called out, slipping into the guild past her without a sideways glance. "Hey lava mouth, let's settle our fight from the other day!" As the blood rushed to her face, a few of the keys on her belt searing against her leg in anger, Lucy had to admit that this newcomer was quite handsome and definitely in good shape- a fact she could only prove due to his only clothes being a pair of striped boxers.

"Hey Gray, have ya been walkin' 'round like that?" a hickory haired woman sitting lazily on one of the few intact tables slurred out. She was painfully attractive, dark wavy hair spilling to her waist as her earthen mauve colored eyes boredly skimmed over the man's body, who shrieked out profanities and dove back the way he had come. She was nearly as indecent as the other mage with only a pair of capris and a bralet on. "Issa shame he's just 'nother one 'a them undignified guys that I really hate." Without sparing a moment, her slender arms heaved a barrel that smelt like whiskey over her head and began chugging expertly from it, not even a drop sliding down her chin.

"Natsu, fight me!"

"Ya ain't even dressed!"

"What rubbish," a booming voice hissed out from behind Lucy and she became painfully aware of just how far into the building she had walked. A hulking figure nearly twice, maybe even three times her size, stood between her and the exit. "All these brats yappin' away in the middle of the day. You ain't little kids, ya know." He suddenly charged towards where Natsu and Gray were brawling, an older pair of mages trying to separate them. "So fight with fists and show that you're a real man!"

"Get outta the way!" the pair screamed in unison, punching him away in a single- frighteningly synchronized- move.

"It's gotten so noisy in here," a suave voice sneered out, a handsome man with ginger hair and hazel eyes clicking his tongue in annoyance as he adjusted his tinted glasses. He was easy to recognize as Loke Regulus; Sorcerer Weekly put him in first place for which popular mage you'd want to be your boyfriend every month. That image was immediately shattered by the pair of scantily clad women he had under each of his arm, and another small group of them leaning against the back wall with dreamy looks on their faces. "I suppose I shall join their fight and put it quickly to an end."

Lucy ducked around another projectile- this time the leg of a table or a chair, she couldn't be too sure- and found comfort on the floorboards of the guild despite how likely she was to be trampled.

"My, are you a newcomer?" Mira sang out sweetly, having finally made her way over. The blonde cautiously took the offered hand and pulled herself back to her feet as the famous mage continued. "That's wonderful! My name is Mirajane Strauss, though everyone just calls me Mira. If you have any questions, or you need any help at all, let me know."

"I'm Lucy," she choked out, shocked that the model could just ignore the fight behind her. "Should we do something to stop them?"

"You're free to try, but it happens all the time. You don't have to worry about it too much," the ivorette giggled out, watching Gray get squashed by a table which shattered upon impact. "Besides, isn't it more fun like this?" Not a moment later, a bottle smashed against Mirajane's temple hard enough to shatter it on impact and send the barmaid to the ground, Lucy diving to catch her.

"Mirajane-san, are you alright?" she shrieked out, squealing as Gray's body smashed through the floor right beside her, a shard of wood scratching her arm. A quick glance at where he came from showed Natsu stalking over to them, still grumpy from being woken up, and Loke waving a pair of _very_ familiar striped boxers in the air.

"Shit, gimme my underwear back!" Gray shouted, uncaring that Lucy was knelt in between the pair and getting an eyeful of something she really wasn't interested in seeing.

"Don't face this way!" she cried, burrowing her face in her hands and praying for it to end.

"Hey, lady, if you don't mind, please lend me your underwear," Gray began, Lucy lashing her leg out and catching him across the shins.

"There's no way I'd do that!" she shouted towards his tumbling body, nearly elbowing Loke when he scooped her up.

"People with no elegance are quite troublesome, don't you think?" he cooed sweetly towards her, a quick glance showing that Mirajane had hurried off and left her without an ounce of support. "By the way, which modeling agency do you belong to?"

"What are you even talking about?" she nearly sobbed out, pushing away from him weakly.

"Men should fight with fists!" the bulky man who had just rejoined the fray shouted, only to be punched away by Natsu as he stalked towards the celestial mage, ripping her out of Loke's arms and kicking the playboy away without a backwards glance. The noise continued its crescendo, even with the dragon slayer seated beside the blonde at the bar now, demanding food from Mirajane who still had blood trailing down her face.

"It's so fuckin' noisy in here!" the brunette from before shouted, swatting away a stool that came too close to her perch on the table. "I can't even drink peacefully like this! It's time to settle this!" She whipped out a card, magic flaring as everyone rose to the challenge and summoned their own magic to counter hers when she struck, or anyone stepped out of line.

"Magic? My, this is getting a little too intense," Mira breathed out nervously, unwilling to turn her gaze from the fight for a moment.

"That's enough!" a bellowing voice snarled deeply, a foot that could easily crush one of the tables coming down sharply on the ground. "Cut it out you fools!"

"He's humongous," the blonde whimpered fearfully, eyes locked on the hunched giant that barely fit in the building. It did the trick though, everyone freezing- some mid attack- and waiting for only a few moments before turning away and returning to their regular activities.

"Were you here the whole time, Master?" Mirajane inquired gently, drawing attention to the trio at the bar. He nodded before leaning down closer, as if trying to place a familiar face, before chuckling.

"A newcomer?"

"Yes," she squeaked out fearfully, shooting a glare over her shoulder when Natsu snorted in amusement. When she looked back, she immediately noticed that the man was shrinking and she felt a spike of relief that he used size manipulation as opposed to truly being a giant. She'll admit that he shrunk quite a bit further than she originally thought before sticking out a tiny hand that the blonde was forced to bend down slightly to slowly shake.

"Nice ta meet cha!" he chirped before sending himself spiraling through the air, landing rather ungracefully on the railing of the second floor. Once he had settled, the guild grew deathly quiet once more, as if knowing that the papers bundled in his hand was for them. "You've done it again, you fools. Look at all the documents I've received from the Council!" He began skimming through the complaints, eyebrow ticking in annoyance. "Firstly, Gray. Good job on sweeping out the smuggling organization, but you were caught walking around naked in town afterwards, and ran away after stealing underwear that had been hung to dry."

"Wouldn't walkin' 'round naked be worse?" he grumbled irritably.

"Then don't be naked in the first place," the hulking man shot back.

"Elfman, you had a mission to escort a very important person, but you assaulted him during the mission instead!" the old man shouted towards the snarky comment, the giant looking dejected as he tried to softly justify his actions. "Cana, drinking fifteen large barrels of expensive alcohol and charging it to the Council. Loke, flirting with the granddaughter of Council member Elder Reiji. I also received a complaint from a certain talent agency that demanded compensation for damage, as well. And Natsu." A heavy sigh filled the air as the roset quirked an eyebrow, Happy landing inaudibly on the bar by Lucy. "You destroyed the Devon thief family, but you also destroyed seven other houses that belonged to townspeople, you leveled a historical clock tower in Tully Village, burnt down a church in Freesia, damaged parts of Lupinus castle, collapsed the Nazuna Ravine Observatory and stopped its operations, and destroyed half of Hargeon's port." It was painfully obvious that he was the most destructive- that was over half of the articles about Fairy Tail covered in Sorcerer Weekly. "Alzack, Levy, Kulov, Reedus, Warren, Bisca, _all_ of you. The Council members are angry with me all the time!"

Suddenly, his mood shifted and the pages in his hand went up in flames, an unintentional show of power, and tossed them towards the bar, Natsu stepping around Lucy to catch them and chow down on the flames. "But you should forget about the Council members. The power to overcome reasoning is born from within reasoning. Magic is _not_ a miracle. When the energy within us and the energy within nature connect, they will form a unique embodiment for the first time. It requires a strong mentality and a lot of concentration, and the real magic is pouring everything you have, your whole _soul_, into whatever you do. If you waste your time worrying about the watchful eyes of the higher ups, your magic won't improve. Do not fear the fools of the Council. Do whatever you think is right! _That_ is the way of Fairy Tail mages!"

The instantaneous cheers were deafening, and the pride that surrounded the blonde was contagious, a beaming smile coming to her face as a celebration reigned within the room.

* * *

She was exhausted, her knees shook with the effort of keeping her up, and her cheeks ached as yet another breathtaking smile spread across her face, and yet her heart felt light enough to ignore everything else. She had been pulled every which way since the morning, and it had long since grown dark outside, and she had more names and faces in her mind than she knew what to do with- though not many of them fit together. Still, she stood before Mirajane, bouncing on the balls of her feet in her excitement, with her right hand palm down on the bar. "You want it here?" the model asked, clearly confused. Lucy understood- she gathered fairly quickly that most of the female mages chose to bear their marks on their abdomen or leg- and nodded her head quickly. The large stamp was pressed gingerly to the back of her hand, a small tingle running up her arm as magic seeped into her skin. When it was removed, a soft bubblegum pink Fairy Tail mark was staring back at her. "There you go! Now you're officially a part of Fairy Tail!"

"Thank you!" the blonde chirped out, reaching across the bar to hug Mira for a moment before darting off. "Natsu, look! She gave me the Fairy Tail mark!" He hardly glanced up from his food- pasta and chicken that wasn't even visible through the thick layer of flames coating it- before humming something out around a mouthful. "You know, you don't seem as excited as you were when you practically dragged me here." Kurov, the buck toothed mage that had contributed to the start of a guild wide brawl earlier in the day, nearly choked on the beer he was drinking.

"There's no way-"

"Hey Natsu," Wakaba, a smoke mage, called out drunkenly from a table or two away, "where'd ya find such a cutey!" The other middle aged men around him began drunkenly mumbling out their agreements. The blonde quickly reclaimed the stool Natsu had kept open for her all day and ducked her head down as she flushed prettily. "I'm so jealous. I wonder if she'd join my team!" The dragon slayer wrapped his fingers around her wrist and urged Lucy back to her feet before stalking over to the request board- the only one she could work off of.

"Where ya goin', Natsu?" an earth mage- she couldn't quite recall his name- asked, bored.

"Work," was all the dragon slayer replied, eyes skimming over the papers as he was still walking. He knew that Mirajane put the more physical jobs together; all of the monster battles and dark mage captures hanging higher on the board. He wondered momentarily which option the blonde would prefer; she didn't seem like someone to get down and kick ass for fun- but then again, neither did Mirajane. "Choose one with a good reward." He looked at the celestial mage over his shoulder, taking in her owlish eyes as she watched him in shock before nodding towards the board once more.

"Is my dad back yet?" a wobbly voice questioned from a few feet over, a young boy distracting Lucy the moment she took a step closer to the jobs.

"Quit annoyin' me, Romeo. If you're truly the son of a mage, then trust your father, be a good kid, and wait for him at home," the miniscule master belched out around his beer, ignoring the way Romeo began to tremble as tears spilled down his cheeks.

"But he said he'd be back in three days, and it's been over a week!" the kid challenged. "His job's just on Mount Hakobe! It's not that far! Please send someone to look for him! I'm so worried!" Makarov pinched the bridge of his nose, unwilling to show his own concern and refusing to believe the man took a job he couldn't handle- they had worked together for so many years now, it seemed impossible he didn't know his own boundaries.

"No way! Your dad's a great mage kid, and there's not a mage here that can't take care 'a himself, so just go home and drink your milk or something!" Not a moment later, Romeo had launched himself onto a stool and punched the guild master directly in the face, running from the building and wailing terribly.

"It's pretty strict here, isn't it?" Lucy breathed out solemnly.

"Master may act like he doesn't care, but truthfully, he's just as worried about Macao," Mirajane said softly as she carried a stack of freshly cleaned plates back towards the kitchen.

"C'mon Luce, let's go," Natsu grumbled irritably, snatching her wrist once more and swinging his own backpack onto his shoulders, Happy floating down to trail behind them.

"Master, Natsu's gonna do something bad," a large tanned man called out, alarmed as he watched the trio disappear. "I bet he's gonna go help Macao."

"Stupid kid, doesn't he know doin' that will only hurt Macao's pride?" Wakaba tutted out around a cigarette, shaking his head. "And dragging that pretty new girl off with him."

Despite himself and the fit he just threw about leaving the mage alone, Makarov couldn't stop the proud smile that formed and he stuck a pipe in his teeth to mask it. "No one can decide what they should do. Just leave them be," he declared proudly.

* * *

**Hey guys! So, first off, I'm so sorry about the mix up last week. Due to a suggestion by aliciacevbra, I will be posting another chapter as well tonight! Another little treat is that I have a beta reader now so you guys don't have to suffer through horrible word ****repetition anymore! **

**Leave any suggestions you guys have for this story, the oneshot series, or any future stories below in my PMs or the reviews! **

**Reviews!**

**Melancholy's Sunshine, it takes about two seconds after they leave, honestly. The guild is full of gossipers and Natsu dragged someone to the guild he's hardly ever at, so people began talking immediately. These bets will be mentioned more the more comfortable everyone else is with each other, so be ready! **

**Arcadea333 and**** Savwafair****, we did skip a chapter, unfortunately. I try to post these at midnight so that everyone can read them whenever they wake up or have time, so I'm typically half asleep. I fixed the chapter though, if you hadn't seen it yet.**

**Aliciacevbra****, I actually just messed up. The battle against Bora still isn't very prominent, it's not focused as much on the fighting, but it's still there. I'm so glad you feel that way about my writing. That's exactly what I was going for!**

**Littlest1, thank you so much! Happy is actually incredibly observant, even in the cannon manga and anime, but they don't focus on Happy so it's overlooked. It would be kind of ridiculous to have Lucy be taken away, especially given how Happy hides for a while after Natsu enters the boat. Like, what was she even doing originally? There were slavers in front of her, armed and dangerous, and she was just judging Natsu trying to save her even though he had motion sickness and she was on a boat? Okay Lucy, I see you. So like, of course she'll still fight as soon as she can since he can't, and of course she trusts Aquarius not to kill her after everything they've been though together. And he will officially meet Nyra very soon.**

**Rere97Maui, many more LucyxNatsu interactions to come! And you are most definitely picking up a possessive/jealous streak in Natsu. He will be very possessive and jealous in this story- not too much, Lucy will still kick his ass for it once in a while.**

**Valerioux, she's officially in Fairy Tail! Lucy definitely was wary of being dragged off at the end- she was almost branded a slave and she had willingly chosen to follow that guy, after all- and that was partially why she wanted them to go on the train- motion sickness is a weakness, and she can use it to get away from them if worst came to worst. **

**Bakers28, I'm trying to find ways to give Aquarius less of a 'I actually hate you' vibe and more of a 'you need to see that not every good person is nice, so stop judging people so quickly' vibe, you know? I don't know if that really makes sense or anything, but I hope so. There will be lots of little things like that in this story, it's honestly what makes the story for me too. Definitely let me know when you have something up! I'm not great with a lot of things, but if I know it I'll definitely check it out and if you're proud of something and let me know, I'll read it even if I don't know where it's from!**

**ProbablyEpsilon, I personally love Nyra and have planned the Draco spirit for close to a year or two, honestly. I knew that I wanted size manipulation and scent masking to come with her, and honestly could you imagine when Wendy starts going on jobs and she gets nervous, so Lucy sends Nyra with her and supports her gate for all of Wendy's job, no matter how strenuous. And I can just see Wendy come skipping into the guild with a matching key, her own Draco, and she shyly asks Lucy to teach her to use it and she gets her own guardian spirit and oh boy oh boy do I have some ideas for that. **

**Bananarock509, originally I had Lucy talking about dragon slaying magic, but then I saw Happy's reaction in the manga, and honestly, that kind of shocked silence is the best!**

SoftKittyPaw**, congratulations on spring break and I hope you have a speedy recovery from your surgery! I will _definitely_ do an intimate healing oneshot for you. I'll try to get it out sometime this week as my get well soon present, alright? Keep an eye out for it!**

**19vanelkc, it's so fucking hard to find a story with draconic!Natsu and it makes me so sad! I love dragon instincts with the dragon slayers and it needs to be more popular! Everyone should write one and send it to me so I can read them, honestly! **

**Yoru no Nx, Bora got his ass whooped good. I'm glad you enjoyed it! The Magic Council is never happy, lol, even with a criminal caught. **


	5. Chapter five

**Chapter five**

It must have been a common theme amongst Fairy Tail mages to throw their jewel around, Lucy thought as Natsu handed over nearly twice the usual price for a carriage up Mount Hakobe, the drivers reluctant due to a blizzard going on despite the fact that it was summer. She lingered behind the building, pulling out the new pants she had just purchased and sliding them up her hips, pursing her lips slightly when she was forced to feed her belt through the loops in the pants. She was yanking on the leather when Happy came to get her, the cat watching as the pants that seemed to hug her legs folded and wrinkled an almost comical amount to keep from slipping off of her waist. "We found someone to take us. C'mon," he called as she pulled a long sleeve shirt and a fur lined cloak out of her bag.

"Coming," she called, Natsu snorting from in front of the carriage. She folded the remaining clothes over her arm, deciding to finish dressing during the ride, and jogged over, the darkness of the night giving the quiet outskirts of Magnolia an almost sinister feeling. "Sorry, I just wanted to put on some warmer clothes."

"That's a good idea," their driver praised, pointedly eyeing Natsu and his rather exposing outfit that consisted solely of his scarf, a vest, harem pants, and worn sandals. "A blizzard's been raging up at the summit for days now. You kids really are crazy for going up there."

"Crazy or not, we got business up there," Natsu grumbled sourly, climbing shakily into the back of the vehicle and collapsing onto one of the benches. Happy and Lucy were quick to follow him in, the blonde throwing her cloak over the seat while she pulled the shirt on over her head, and he let out a pitiful whine when she went to take a seat across from him.

"I think he wants to lay on you again," Happy sniggered, taking joy in embarrassing his friend. Rolling her eyes, and relenting, because there was really no other reason for them to bring her along, she settled in with her bag by her feet and her cloak acting as a blanket. The dragon slayer draped himself over her without a moment to spare, face curling around until his cheek was pressed firmly to her abdomen and his back was on her legs- she knew at that moment that her legs would hate her by the end of the ride.

"I guess this will solve where I'm staying tonight," she hummed out suddenly, eyes glazing over in thought as their ride began. "Depending on when we get back, I might have to take Mira-san up on her offer to let me stay at her house." She heaved out a sigh, fingers drumming anxiously on Natsu's shoulder as she tried to sort through her plans for the next few days.

"What do you mean?" Happy mumbled, confusion clear on his face. "Just stay at your own place."

"I don't have my own place, yet," she reminded him softly. "Both Mira-san and Levy-san said that they'd look around for me, but I really shouldn't impose on them like that, and I'd have to stay in a hotel near the edge of town to afford it since I don't know how long I'll be looking around." The cat cringed at the thought of the shady hotels that even Cana complained about, the thought of the blonde staying there for days, maybe even weeks, making sympathy shoot through him. He couldn't even imagine how unhappy Natsu would be with the idea.

"Just stay with me 'n Natsu, then," he countered slowly. "We have our own place a little ways outta town, and you can even take the room!" She immediately shook her head, rejecting the idea with a grateful smile on her face.

"I really couldn't ask that of either of you. You've already done so much for me," she dismissed. "Besides, if I stay with you guys, I won't go house hunting as much as I should and I'll end up staying at your house for a while. This way, I'll be more motivated to move." A nasty jolt left the blonde with her arms full of a whining roset, something that made her laugh softly despite how sympathetic she felt. "Why did you guys decide to bring me along anyways?"

"Macao was fighting a buncha Vulkins, so you can distract whichever ones are alive while we look for Macao," Happy stated as if she was stupid, and the celestial mage shuddered at the thought of it- she had dealt with Vulkins in the past and she did not look forward to dealing with them again.

"Like we'd leave ya with 'ose pervy ol' men," Natsu groaned into her shirt, trying to drown out the nausea with her scent. It wasn't working as well as when they were on the train, and he guessed that these clothes were masking it enough to dilute its appealing qualities- her pants literally smelled like chemicals and that shirt was drenched in perfume.

"I could have fended them off for a couple days," she argued lightly, nails weaving through his hair. "I won't be much help, most likely." A whimper interrupted her thoughts, and she focused more on curling her fingers through his hair than arguing with the incapacitated dragon slayer, and it wasn't long before she drifted off into a light slumber, shifting each time Natsu snored or Happy flicked her hand with his tail.

* * *

Lucy was beyond grateful for the clingy dragon slayer that had an unusually warm body temperature the minute they hit a high enough altitude for snow. The blizzard created a rough ride that made her smack her head against the walls when she would doze while also making the temperature plummet. This continued on for hours until the celestial mage decided that reading would be a more productive use of her time. She fished out the Desiertan book she had recently bought and her magically enhanced reading glasses, thankful for the lacrima overhead that bathed them in a gentle light.

She was nearly a third of the way done with the book- honestly, she knew magic was fickle, but was it really that much easier to create a flame with one's body heat than the heat in the air?- when a particularly nasty gust of air sent the carriage rocking dangerously, almost toppling into the snowy banks. The driver stopped them quickly enough that a small whimper tore through the air as Lucy smacked her head painfully against the wall, and Natsu lifted his head at the noise, confusion edging his typical glare until he saw her shakily rubbing her scalp. "It stopped," she notified him in a tight voice, eyes pinched closed.

"Are we already there?" Happy yawned out as he stretched on Natsu's back, no signs of drowsiness present. The doors were opened, ripped from the driver's hands the moment the wind could catch them, and the carriage rocked dangerously again.

"I'm sorry, but this is as far as we can go," he apologized as snow piled on his nose. "I have to take the carriage back down a ways, but I'll wait to take you back to Magnolia."

"Thank you," the celestial mage called, urging Natsu up as she shouldered her cloak and prepared to step out into the icy wasteland. Happy dove for the shelter she provided, deciding she would keep him dry and he would rather that than the warmth Natsu gave off this time, and even the dragon slayer had to admit it was tempting not to venture into the blizzard. "Let's go find Macao." She caught his wrist, shouldering her own bag, and he mimicked the motion before being pulled out into the unforgiving snow.

They couldn't have been walking for more than ten minutes before a blanket was thrown over the blonde's shoulders, and while she appreciated the extra layer between her and the frigid air, she shot Natsu a questioning look as he came to walk beside her instead of trailing behind her. "Yer shiverin'."

Happy, who was truly quaking even cuddled up to Lucy, poked his head out of her cloak and began shouting, "Macao! Macao, where are you?" He didn't seem to hear the blonde shushing him, diving towards Natsu when a brutal gust of wind ripped the cloak open and doused him in snow. "Were you done in by a Vulkin?" Not even a moment later, an almost inaudible thud came from behind the pair of males, who spun around to see a towering monster standing just before Lucy- who merely narrowed her eyes and closed the blanket more tightly around her body. "It's a Vulkin!"

"Human woman," the monster cooed out, face getting uncomfortably close to the blonde while his hands clasped over her shoulders. Her palm flew up, a soft word that was lost in the wild winds sending a painful looking spark of electricity towards the Vulkin, who reared back with anger on his features. Without missing a beat, she dove towards Natsu, stumbling in the thick snow and yanking him forward in an attempt to put some distance between them and the rather perverted Vulkin. A small scream tore through her lips when Natsu's arm was ripped from her grasp, sending her flying back into the snow with just enough time to pull out a silver key.

"Horologium!" she shrieked our desperately, the grandfather clock appearing around her just as a hand came down to snatch her up. When the Vulkin threw the spirit over its shoulder, the blonde went tumbling around and the brass pendulum smacked harshly into her back, something her spirit apologized for profusely.

"Luce!" Natsu called out when he got back to his feet, finding Happy buried in the snow a bit away. Even with his enhanced vision, he couldn't see where they had gone through the blizzard, even the faint glimmer of stardust long since lost beneath a new blanket of snow and her scent fading more quickly than it should have. "Shit."

"He's probably taking her to where he has Macao," Happy justified through chattering teeth, hiding within the scaled scarf to warm himself again. Natsu was sprinting after them the moment he had Happy against his neck, hunting through a blizzard for the celestial mage that had virtually disappeared.

* * *

She never quite understood why Horologium required more magic the longer he stayed out- he had once told her something about changing his time, though it had been so long ago and she never wanted to complain when he always saved her- but she was feeling the drain on her reserves and she still had to deal with the hyperactive Vulkin dancing around her. She had decided to wait for Natsu, and she was angry that she had even thought to rely on the dragon slayer knowing she could deal with the creature herself. "Horologium, I don't want you to waste anymore of your time. You can head back now."

"Thank you, Miss Lucy," the clock mumbled as he disappeared, the blonde wasting no time in dropping the blanket and eyeing the Vulkin as it studied her more firmly. What she knew about Vulkins was limited, especially this snow specified breed, but there were a few things all species had in common- they had no real necessities as far as eating and drinking went, the males sought to find a female of any humanoid species to mate with, and they used takeover magic that leeched the life out of their host.

"Did you takeover Macao?" she inquired softly, eyes hard when the beast took a step towards her. She had to figure out how to get the Vulkin to release its takeover without killing the host, something she hadn't had to do before. _"Dwilo!"_ The moment the word had left her mouth, the Vulkin went flying back and smacked against the wall, cracking the ice. It only enraged the Vulkin, and the blonde went scrambling across the icy floor in an attempt to keep space between them She found herself wishing for a pair of skates, or maybe salt or sand- anything to give her the traction to get away from the creature lunging towards her. "Open, gate of the bull, Taurus!" She didn't really remember grabbing the key- maybe it was just an action of habit for her to keep her hand on them- but the surge of magic flooded the air and a large bull humanoid was standing over her, using the insane battle axe as a bat and sending the Vulkin flying again. "Be careful, Taurus. He's-"

"A strong enemy," the spirit interrupted confidently, a strange drawl to his words that gave the impression of mooing. "Don't worry, Miss Lucy, I'll take care of this monkey."

"Wait, that's not what I was going to say at all!" the blonde yelled as her spirit when charging head first into battle, swinging his weapon with no restraint. "Taurus, you can't hurt him too badly!"

"Lucy!" Happy's voice distracted both the mage and her spirit, who went soaring over her head a moment later. "Don't worry, we're here to save you!"

Sending Taurus back in a shower of gold when the Vulkin went lunging for his axe, the celestial mage called out, "That's great and all, you guys, but be careful!" Not a moment later, Natsu was skidding across the ice, taking Lucy's legs out from beneath her with a squeal on her part She wondered briefly just what deity she had angered for this barrage of bad luck. She winced when her head snapped back and hit the ice, whining before looking over just as Natsu crashed against the wall, the cracks becoming more pronounced and chips falling away.

"Hey, monkey, where's Macao? Ya get what I'm sayin'? I'm lookin' for a human _man_," the dragon slayer seethed irritably, getting to his feet and snarling towards the Vulkin.

"Natsu, the Vulkin-"

"Human man?" the creature hummed out thoughtfully, waving them over a moment later and pointing towards a small hole in the wall- one just big enough to shimmy your way through. Natsu stood and strode over, slipping and sliding and completely ignoring when Lucy shot to her feet and fought to get to him.

"Natsu, wait!"

The Vulkin shoved the dragon slayer towards the wall, ice breaking when flailing limbs smacked against the edges and sending him into the blizzard. "Natsu!" Happy screeched out, diving into the snow and racing to catch the roset.

"Me no like man. Me like _woman_." Fighting against the tears that threatened to pour- she was _never_ good with death- Lucy ripped her keys from her belt and glared towards the Vulkin dancing around with pride.

"Woman, woman, _woman_! Is that all you care about? What if he's hurt? What if he's _dead_?" she screamed out, two silver keys glinting in between her fingers. "Draco! Monoceros!" In an instant, a silver dragon stood as tall as a horse, amber eyes narrowed while she snarled deep in her chest, and a unicorn as dark as the midnight sky with a ghostly horn spiraling upward and hooves shining like stars pawed at the ice. "The Vulkin-"

"Took over that old guy you're here to save," Monoceros snorted, galactic eyes turning unseeingly towards the mage. "We know. _We_ aren't complete imbeciles." They charged in an instant, the pair working together frighteningly well- despite their icy attitudes, they were eager to keep the blonde safe from the possessed man that seemed intent on getting to her.

"That was a close one!" Happy cried out as the pair appeared through the storm, their silhouettes giving way to color the closer they got. As the adrenaline from her anger dulled, Lucy became aware of just how much of a strain the pair of spirits had on her already drained reserves. Monoceros disappeared the moment her will started to falter, even Nyra casting a worried glance back before renewing her vigor, lashing her tail and throwing him into as many walls as she could without lasting damage.

"A dragon?" Natsu breathed in shock, scenting the air and coming up with nothing besides Lucy, the unicorn, and the Vulkin. "Luce, what happened?"

"Later," she promised, coming to help steady him and throw the blanket around Happy, who was trembling and soaked. "The Vulkin took over Macao's body. From what I know, you have to put the host in danger without fully killing them to make the Vulkin release it's hold. A small head injury would be the best way, because we don't know how hurt his body is." The dragon slayer gaped for a moment before nodding and taking off, working around the dragon with impossible accuracy, with the confidence of someone who knew to think and fight like a dragon.

"That's awesome," the feline wrapped firmly in the thick wool blanket purred in awe. "I've never seen him fight with anyone like this before. I've never seen _anyone_ fight like this before." The blonde could only nod mutely, jaw dropped just a bit.

It wasn't until the unconscious Vulkin was hitting a weak point in the wall that her heart dropped and her feet sped into action, throwing herself across the room as quickly as she could. She ignore the burn in her eyes when the Vulkin released its hold on the falling host, ignored the blinding light that made panic spike in her heart and allowed him the chance to escape, and threw herself onto the ice with her hands outstretched, fingers closing around a much colder wrist and tugging with everything she had. It wasn't until she could see with spots of dark and light dancing across her vision that she realized she was too close with too much momentum to stop the both of their fall, and she was too proud to drop the stranger now- Macao or not, she refused to kill someone to save herself. "Luce!" She went sailing closer, snow smacking into her skin as her torso dropped, Macao's weight pulling her further from the room, and just when she was sure she was a goner, almost scalding arms wrapped around her calves- yanking unpleasantly on her legs and hips, and digging her abdomen painfully into the edge of the ice- but ultimately stopping her descent.

"He's slipping!" Lucy wheezed, trying to wiggle just a bit further- as if that meant she regained the space lost.

"Happy!"

"Aye!" A moment later, the blue blur had stolen the body from her grasp, the sudden lack of weight strange, and Natsu dragged the blonde back into the cave. "He doesn't look too good," Happy called, eyeing the bloodied body in his grasp in concern.

"Okay," she called, up and running to the center of the cave to spread out the blanket she had snagged. "Happy, lay him here. Natsu, light these." She began throwing things at him- portable stoves, lanterns, even heater lacrimas- and he did as he was told, wary of their placement as his injured guildmate was laid down. She was still pulling things out of that bottomless bag of hers, several first aid kits, herbs and salves, _lots_ of bandages, and things he couldn't put a name to. "Oh shit."

Despite the situation, Natsu cackled at her whispered profanity, and she mouthed a series of heated words as she continued her work with a flushed face. The pair watched her, amusement and worry in their eyes as she moved the sources of heat in an arc around his body and use cloth soaked in alcohol to clean his worst wound, the gash in the right side of his abdomen. She pulled out a needle and thread, mumbling a spell under her breath to sterilize the tools before she began to stitch his side up, quick movements precise in a way that could only be from experience, and they were forced to wonder for the first time just where their temporary teammate had come from.

"It looks like he fought hard before he was taken over," Happy whimpered, watching her tie off another stitch. "He has some serious wounds." She didn't seem too concerned, though there was a little crease between her slender eyebrows, and she gave a little frustrated click of her tongue before yanking her cloak off and flinging it over his legs, a small sheen of sweat on her forehead. "C'mon Macao! Hang on!" Lucy jumped slightly, pursing her lips as she smeared a strong smelling salve over his wound and covering it with a bandage. She ignored a majority of the wounds, moving over to his other side to inspect his temple before repeating the stitching process. "How did you know that was Macao?"

"I've faced Vulkins before, and they're a huge problem in Icebergic Mountains, so they told me all about them," Lucy said slowly, as if afraid to accidentally say too much When the golden haired female began applying the salve, he bolted up, dark eyes snapping open as he gasped dramatically, shuddering. She jumped back, hands in the air and a wary look in her eyes.

"Shit," he hissed, eyes snapping shut and his hand coming to hold his head only to cringe away when it hit his freshly dressed wound. "What a shame. I got nineteen of 'em. _Fuck_. It was that fuckin' twentieth one."

"We understand," Lucy breathed out sweetly, slowly crawling back to him as if he were an injured animal about to lash out. "I need you to stop talking, though, or you'll pop your stitches."

"I'm just so angry at myself," he choked out around tears, scrubbing his skinned palms against his eyes. "How can I face Romeo now?"

"She said shuddup. Ya want me ta punch ya?" Natsu growled lowly, the man lowering his hands and restraining himself to a wobbly lip.

"Don't worry, Macao-san," the blonde breathed out softly, her eyes kind as she finished bandaging his head and helping him to sit up. "I think it's amazing you got nineteen. Between you and I, I can barely get one." He offered her a pained smile as she fastened her cloak around his shoulders and swaddled his torso in the blanket, smothering flames and hiding her tools away in her backpack again. She helped him up, passing him to Natsu with a purposeful look before heading out into the snow, Happy in her arms and the men trailing behind her.

* * *

The moment she caught sight of the carriage, Lucy nearly wept in relief; her fingers were long since frozen and her nose was so frosty that it wouldn't even run. She had made Natsu carry Macao due to his already low body temperature, and she was disappointed that he had both the blanket and her cloak- her warmest possession- while she had to run around in a blizzard. The celestial mage screwed her mouth shut and suffered in silence, though, and hoped that the dragon slayer was as clingy as he had been during the trip up the mountain, unsure if her access to a dragon spirit had made him dislike her.

"Thank you for waiting for us," she called out cheerfully towards the driver, a tremulous quality to her voice that made them all cringe a little. He hurried around, swinging open the doors and eyeing them critically.

"Luce," Natsu grunted once the blonde had stepped into the cab, handing the injured father up to her and waiting until she had set him up meticulously; an ornamental pillow tucked between his head and the cab and the blanket spread over his body. Once she turned back to look at him, taking a seat across from Macao, shivering, he grudgingly stepped inside and immediately collapsed on the bench, once more laying as much of his body on her as possible- if Macao asked, he could always slur out that he was keeping her warm between gags. She gave a breathy laugh before pulling the book out once more; if they had a spell that could _give_ her body heat, she would try to perform it to the best of her abilities, because she was _freezing_. Macao felt he had lost years once the carriage began rolling and the dragon slayer whined to the new girl, digging his face into her stomach and ignoring her when she swatted lightly at his head.

"Natsu likes her," Happy drawled out suggestively from beside Macao, ignoring the strangled growl from across the carriage.

"She don't look familiar," Macao snorted, studying her as she lifted her eyes from the page and peeked over crimson framed glasses with a small flush on her face. "She's plenty cute though, and a great medic from what I can tell."

"She's brand new! This was her first job with Fairy Tail," the feline purred out. "We found her in Hargeon and she has some really cool magic!"

"It's nothing too great," she argued despite the heat from her keys. "I'm just a celestial mage. My name is Lucy, by the way."

"Macao Conbolt. That's a pretty rare magic you got," he whistled out, impressed. "I've never worked with someone who used celestial magic before." He leaned forward suddenly, wincing when it tugged at the wound on his side though ultimately ignoring it. "Is it true ya can see through the stars?"

Despite herself, she let out a little laugh while she shook her head. "No, that's just a myth. The spirits I'm contracted with can see through the stars, and I've learned to read the stars if they want to tell me anything important," she explained happily, eyes bright with the thought of her magic. For a moment, the carriage fell into silence, the pure happiness radiating off of her like a light as she smoothed her fingers over the collection of keys on her belt, stunning everyone- something she mistook for boredom. "Sorry, I get a little carried away."

"Don't worry about it," Macao urged sincerely. "It wouldn't be right to see someone who didn't love their magic like that." She gave a soft smile, the hand resting on Natsu's head beginning to curl through the tangles and dislodge small chips of ice that hadn't quite melted yet. "So how'd you get caught up with these punks?" A fond, slightly secretive, smile came across her lips as she thought back to her first meeting with a Fairy Tail mage.

"I have a habit of dining with helpful people," she decided to say after a moment of contemplation, the trio around her falling into a confused silence- why would she say it like that?

* * *

**And here's the second chapter, as promised! **


	6. Chapter six

**Chapter six**

Lucy wasn't entirely sure how she was still awake- perhaps it was merely the anxiety of having an older man so near that made adrenaline rush through her veins. That being said, contrary to many of her past experiences, this guy seemed relatively harmless. At the moment, Macao was curled up nice and warm with her cloak as a blanket; he shared it with Happy who was mumbling about fish in his sleep.

Nap time had started a few hours ago when Natsu let out a ferocious- grumpy- snarl when the rest of the group was apparently being too loud. Now, somehow, he was wound all around her; his cheek was pressed to her collarbone, one of his arms slung over her opposite shoulder, and she had been forced to stop reading when she could no longer see over his hair. Lucy bit back a squeal when he moved again, pressing his nose into her neck and threading his legs through hers.

Really, what kind of person could be so defenseless around someone who was practically a stranger?

Another sharp jostle of the carriage made her cringe and her hand flew across the seat. Thrown off balance, splinters found homes in her skin as she found herself now folded awkwardly on the bench while also acting as Natsu's personal body pillow.

If she wasn't exhausted, she would have long since called out one of her spirits to either move him or teach him to respect her personal space. She had considered calling Leo out a few times- the child spirit could become a lion at will and _that_ would surely scare some sense into a normal person- but her fear for her loyal spirit's safety outweighed her dislike of being laid on top of. So she sat there, a horrible kink in her neck and her legs asleep.

She cursed the warmth that had defrosted her at the beginning of their journey. They were past the snow line of Mount Hakobe by now and it was still _summer_ and she had yet to change back into her lighter clothes.

"Damn, it's hot," Macao groaned tiredly, kicking off the blanket and popping open her cloak. He blinked, looked around to gather his bearings, and promptly burst into laughter at the uncomfortable position the pair were in- Mirajane was _definitely_ going to hear about it. "Need some help?"

Lucy could do without the chortles, but she nodded gratefully nevertheless. "Please?"

Macao shook his head as he moved Happy to lay on the seat next to him. Small amused breaths escaped him as he moved down to grab the dragon slayer's ankles. Wary of his wounds, he gave a sharp tug and winced sympathetically when the blonde gave a small yelp of shock as she, too, was dragged down until her back was against the bench.

"Stop," Natsu growled sleepily, ignoring how flushed the blonde got when Macao turned away, laughing into his hand.

"Natsu, I need to sit up," she chided, struggling to raise to her elbows at the very least. "Just get up for a minute."

He bit back a snarl, the vibrations of her words lulling him towards sleep once more; he needed at _least_ ten hours of sleep most days and hearing Macao laugh brought out an irritation he hadn't felt before.

"I'm sorry Lucy-san, but I think you're stuck like that for a while," the older man smiled, his voice holding only mirth.

"You're just going to leave me like this?" she gasped, horrified by the idea, only to watch as Macao took a seat by the now awake Happy.

"Sorry Lucy, Natsu gets cranky when he doesn't sleep," the feline said nonchalantly. "You must be _really_ comfy, though."

"Happy, you traitor, lift him up for a second," she pleaded over Macao's laughter.

The cat yawned. "I don't feel like it."

* * *

The moment they rolled to a stop, Lucy swung her legs off of the bench with enough force to dislodge the sleeping dragon slayer and yanked her long sleeve shirt over her head to stuff it into her bag.

"Lucy," the roset groaned, still half asleep.

She huffed out a sigh and stooped down to help him to his feet- the only movement that she made to acknowledge the sudden weight of the man leaning on her being her own eye roll.

Macao, who had taken to dozing and _insisting_ that he was only resting his eyes, grumbled sourly while standing with Happy on his head. "You should walk on your own, boy," he scolded when Lucy moved to drag both the dragon slayer and his backpack out of the carriage. "Don't make this poor girl drag you around everywhere."

"It's no problem, Macao-san," she countered gently despite the strain in her voice. The moment her feet touched the ground, she dropped the backpack and snagged her keys from her belt. The blonde flicked through them for a moment before picking out a silver key. "Open gate of the unicorn, Monoceros!"

The spirit appeared, pawing glimmering hooves against the earth with a sour look in his foggy gaze. "You don't _really_ expect me to carry that imbecile, do you?" the dark creature haughtily huffed out.

"If you don't, I'll have to carry the both of them," the blonde countered softly, gesturing towards Macao with her head. "He's still hurt, you know."

Without saying anything, and with the angriest expression Happy had ever seen on a horse- the cat was nearly _positive_ the spirit heard that thought when he turned a scathing glare towards him and Macao- Monoceros stooped down and allowed Lucy to drape the dragon slayer awkwardly over his back.

"I'll take his backpack," Happy offered, sprouting his wings and stealing the handles from her grip. Lucy smiled gratefully and he definitely noticed the fatigue lining her features. The blonde moved over and slid under one of Macao's arms as Happy continued, "We should head to the guild first. Romeo doesn't need to see his dad like that, and they'll have extra clothes."

"Let's get going, then," the celestial mage sang sweetly. "Hopefully I can still look around for a place to stay before it gets too dark." The man leaning on her cringed, something she felt more than saw, and she knew it was because of the dangers of staying alone as a young woman- there was a reason the royal family resided in Crocus, and it wasn't because of the beach it overlooked.

"I already told you to just stay with me and Natsu," Happy inisted nonchalantly from in front of them. He ignored the way the conscious pair sputtered in shock, glancing back at the snorting spirit who seemed a little too happy about the offer. "It'll be the cheapest place you can find."

"I'll think about it," she conceded slowly- Macao tripped and she was afraid it would bring them both down for a second. "For now though, I think it would be better for everyone if I stayed alone." A silvery tail flicked her free arm, Monoceros scowling darkly enough that the blonde had to turn her eyes away. "But... I'll think about it."

* * *

It was noon, which meant the guild was already filled to the brim and louder than an arena. In the kitchen, Mirajane relished in the silence enchantments she had _kindly convinced_ a member of their guild to put up years before when she was still a rebellious teenager. She never was a fan of crowds, and even the fame of modeling and being Mirajane "She Devil" Strauss couldn't change her dislike of the noise that came with being a part of Fairy Tail. She peeked through a window and startled at the sight of the open guild doors and bustling people. The moment she crossed the threshold onto the main floor, she understood what had happened immediately.

"They're back!"

"Look at how beat up he is."

"Drinks on me!"

"Holy shit, they actually found Macao."

"Why are they all covered in blood?"

The model shouldered her way through the crowd, concern wrinkling her eyebrows, and nearly fainted at the sight of Macao, Lucy, Natsu, and Happy. The blonde was covered in dried blood, streaks running along her hair as well as staining her forehead in a smear, while the eldest of them all had bandages wrapped around his head, torso, and arms. Natsu was slung lazily over the female's back- as if supporting Macao wasn't enough- and Happy looked half drowned, honestly.

"Oh dear, what in Aradia's name happened to you all?" she asked the moment she was close enough to be heard. Mira slid into Lucy's place beneath Macao's arm, lifting some of the weight from the poor blonde who seemed to be a moment from crumbling to the ground, and began to guide the group towards the back as the rest of the guild returned to their prior activities.

"Vulkins," the younger girl gritted out as she hoisted the roset into Macao's old spot. Natsu refused to answer because he was unhappy to find that she now stank of the cologne and liquor from the older fire mage, but Lucy assumed it was because he was still mad about being woken up.

"Those nasty creatures," the model hissed darkly, almost too softly for the blonde behind her to hear. "I'm glad everyone's back safe, though Macao will need to see a healer."

"I'm jus' here for clothes, Mira. Gotta go find my boy," the man leaning on her murmured softly. "I'll see a healer later. Lucy did a good job patchin' me up, though. Even gave me stitches." The disapproving look the ivory haired woman shot him nearly made the blonde forget that he was older than her- he cowered like a child from an angry mother.

"We'll make sure he gets to a healer, Mira," Natsu offered, breath fanning over Lucy's ear and making her jump slightly. A chuckle tumbled deep in his chest, much to her embarrassment, and he wrapped his arms firmly around her shoulders instead of relinquishing his hold. "Romeo's been waitin' a while, though."

"You are the _last_ person I'd trust to take someone else to the healer, Natsu," the model sniggered under her breath. "You don't even take _yourself_ to the healer."

"_I_ don't need healers."

"Everyone needs a healer, Natsu."

"He actually shouldn't need a healer," Lucy cut in. "I have a magic infused salve that I applied to the worst of his wounds. Here, take the rest- but make sure to use it sparingly; I'm almost out." She fished around in her bag, not seeming to mind the dragon slayer pouting over her shoulder, and pulled out one of the jars she had used on the mountain.

"I can't take that, it's yours," Macao argued even as she shoved the salve into his palm.

"Nonsense. You're hurt and I'm not. It's not hard to make, after all," she scolded with laughter in her voice. "It should heal you up in no time. You can keep whatever's left over for someone else, too." As Mira dragged him down the hallway, away from the trio, he could only gape openly at the sight and wonder if he was delusional.

As the light twisted around them, Happy's wings seeming so much _larger_ than Macao had ever noticed. Natsu was torn between a snarl and a smile, his eyes soft and his teeth bared; his face so close to the blonde, no light came between them. Lucy was an angelic sight, all smiles and waves. It was strange to see a stranger amongst his friends and not be able to imagine a moment without her.

"So you're gonna stay with us, right, Luce?" Natsu purred against her cheek. He ignored when the blonde swatted lightly at his torso to try and push him away, leaning more heavily on her shoulders while shoving a bar stool in between them. She yelped lightly as she fell, though it became a growl when she found herself sitting and the dragon slayer was sniggering.

"No, _Natsu_, I will not be staying with you. I'm going to find a motel, _like I already said_," she seethed out in a sugary tone. "It's only noon, after all. I have all day to find a place."

"Or, we can getta job an' go sleep at my place," the dragon slayer countered in a lazy drawl, ignoring a few mages who choked on their drinks as they thought of the implications. "C'mon, we've been on the road for a week. Let's _rest_." She opened her mouth to protest and the crease in her brow was an obvious sign of her refusal, so he cut in quickly with, "'Sides, ya can save jewels."

"I guess I could then," she finally conceded, muttering darkly to herself about _stubborn_ and _pink hair_ as she was pulled off to the request board by an eager dragon slayer.

Macao let out a strangled breath as Mirajane clutched his arm, the snowy haired beauty grinning madly while her perfectly manicured fingernails digging into his muscles. "Oi, Mira," he complained warily.

"Did you _see that_, Macao? Natsu's invited a girl to live with him!" she squealed excitedly, even with her glossy eyes. "Our little Natsu's growing up it seems. Oh, and she's so pretty and nice."

"Mira, he's letting her crash on his couch until she gets an apartment, not proposing!" Macao cried, horrified. "Hey, stop cryin'!"

"They'll have such cute kids!"

* * *

"Natsu!"

"No."

The blonde flared her cheeks in annoyance, glaring around her dark lashes and propping her fists on her hips. "Natsu, you told me to pick a job and I have. Look, the reward is two hundred _thousand_ jewels to get a book from some mansion. We could definitely pull this off. He's even looking for a _blonde_ maid!" One of her hands flew up, combing through a chunk of her golden hair as if to remind him- like he could forget. It was her first feature to make him reluctant to leave her alone- and he bit back a growl.

"Look at _this_," he hissed, shoving a finger roughly towards the target of their thievery. "This guy's got a _warnin'_ on him, Luce. There's no way-"

"As if I'd let a perverted, womanizing, sex addict get the upper hand on me," she interrupted in a very blasé tone. "It wouldn't have been the first time we've dealt with someone like that. Have you forgotten that Bora was going to sell me as a slave in Bosco already?" The feral snarl that ripped through his lips made her realize very quickly that, no, he did not forget that fact. "Are you saying that this guy, this fat pervert, is going to beat us?"

"As if!"

"Then we should take it!"

He was grumbling heatedly, unable to find a way to get out of the job- did this girl honestly have some kind of death wish?- and Happy began watching Natsu like an exploding lacrima about to go off.

"Natsu, it'll be fine. If you don't want to come with me on this job, you don't have to."

"I'll go," he got out around an angry pout. She turned back towards the paper to hide a small smile, though her shoulders shook with her laughter. "Oi, stop laughin'!"

She shook her head and swiped at the tears gathering on her lash line. "You're ridiculous."

Eventually, Macao and Mirajane returned from the back, his wounds looking much less severe and his body covered in warm clothes, and the trio walked over to the bar with varying emotions on their faces- Lucy was beaming like the cat that got the cream and Happy had a devious smile on his face, so Natsu's grumpy pout made the snowy haired woman shake her head. "We're going to go on this job tomorrow morning, Mira," the celestial mage said.

"Be careful, you guys," Mira warned, making a mental note to log the job while Natsu took Macao's weight from her shoulders. "You guys will make sure Macao gets home safely, right?"

"Of course!" the blonde chirped and followed after the dragon slayer when he began to exit the guild. "Thanks for everything, Mira!"

The moment the door closed behind the group, Mirajane rounded on Cana, the card mage shuddering at the intense look in those sapphire eyes.

"I would like to request a betting pool for how long it takes Natsu and Lucy to get together," she said as calmly as she could, her squeals still peeking through around her words, and everyone around them grew deadly silent as the brunette consulted both her cards and lacrimas for a few moments.

"I will be taking bets for Natsu and Lucy's love life starting now!" the hickory haired card mage called out over the roar of the guild, everyone cheering, cackling, or tripping over their own two feet to place their bets.

* * *

Lucy could hardly recognize Romeo when they finally found him while the trio before her had no problem identifying him in a way that made her believe they had all watched him grow up, and jealousy panged deeply in her chest at the idea.

Macao attempted to stand up a bit straighter to lighten the weight he had put on Natsu and shield the boy from learning just how badly his father was injured. When they were close enough for him to hear, Romeo looked up and got the biggest smile on his face, one that slowly melted away and turned to tears in his eyes. "Dad," he breathed out guiltily. "Daddy, I'm sorry. I-"

"I made you worry," Macao countered softly, dropping to a kneel and pulling his son into his chest. "Sorry."

"That's alright, I'm the son of a mage, after all," the child sobbed out in a wobbly voice, a smile staining his lips.

"When those brats tease ya next time," his father began with mischief in his voice, pulling away to wink, "ask them if their old man can defeat nineteen monsters all by himself, okay?" The child nodded, throwing his arms around his dad's shoulders in another tight hug. He seemed to remember something halfway through, Romeo ripping away and rushing after the disappearing figures.

"Natsu-nii! Happy! Thank you guys!" he called out, ignoring their waves and mumbled responses before turning his eyes onto the blonde. He wasn't blind nor was he stupid, he knew the blood she had tried to scrub off- the blood staining her hair and her clothes- was from his father, and that in itself deserved its own recognition. "Thank you, too, Lucy-nee!"

Lucy decided with a wave that she may have been an inexperienced mage as far as Fairy Tail goes, but the guild in itself was reckless and outrageous while still being heartwarming, fun, and kind. Peeking down at the stamp on her hand, the celestial mage decided that she would _definitely_ enjoy the guild that seemed entwined with her own fate at this point.

* * *

When Natsu told her that he and Happy lived outside of town, Lucy imagined that unfortunate ring of run down houses that typically surrounded larger towns and cities. She was thrilled to learn that Magnolia did't have that poverty ring- she had been informed that the shadiest part of town was the outskirts near Mount Hakobe- due entirely to the destructive mages of Fairy Tail and Mirajane's generosity in expenses for the repairs. So now, with the towering Mount Hakobe behind her, she found herself facing a cottage nestled deep in the woods surrounded by only a beautiful clearing.

"You live _here_?" she breathed out in awe, unable to see the flush that suddenly overcame his cheeks.

"Yeah. Had a couple older people help me build it when I first got here," he admitted sheepishly. "S'only got one room, but ya can take it, an' it'll probably be messy."

"Are you sure you want me to impose on you guys?" she asked suddenly, worry filling her eyes as she finally took in the rather cozy size of the building. "I would hate to take your room from you. I could just take the couch or go get a room with that-"

"I don't just offer stuff I ain't ready to give up. Ya can have the room," he scolded softly, fingers circling her wrist as he tugged her towards the door. "Now c'mon. I wanna eat."

"Food would be nice," she agreed, cringing as she recalled her last real meal to be at the train station before heading to Magnolia- not counting when she had snacked around the guildhall a couple days prior. "I need to bathe as well. I smell like blood."

"Yeah, ya kinda do," the dragon slayer agreed, wrinkling his nose in distaste. He ignored how she sputtered, fishing a key out of his backpack and unlocking the door. "I'll give ya a tour then ya can do whatever." They all flinched back at the mess that stared back at them and the blonde pinned him with a rather heavy look.

"Maybe we should have cleaned last time we were here," Happy mumbled thoughtfully, as if he couldn't sense the mood.

"I know!" the blonde suddenly chirped out, far too enthusiastic after the unimpressed look she had worn. "I'll _tidy up_ in exchange for staying here. I'll take the couch, though-"

"No way. Go take a shower and I'll tidy up," Natsu grumbled, dropping his backpack by the door. "Happy."

"I'll get the food," the feline cheered, diving into the house and disappearing in search of money. Natsu was tugging Lucy through the house, the pair hopping over dishes and clothes and heading towards a tiny little wash closet tucked as out of the way as possible.

"Thank you," she said hesitantly, stepping around him and shutting the door softly. The moment she was out of sight, he ran back to the front of the house and began to pick things up left and right- grabbing seemingly useless knick-knacks and finding appropriate places for them to hide. He hadn't thought about finding some obscure spot to hide his hoard- why would he wanted his most prized possessions so far away from him and where someone can just wander into?- and as such he now felt panicked at having the blonde touch his belongings. He wouldn't necessarily mind to see her surrounded by his hoard- the mere idea sending shivers down his spine- but he knew that she would first have to understand what it would mean. He couldn't do that, not when he had barely learned anything about this stranger he picked up a week ago.

Cursing silently, he felt a small spike of worry pierce through him- he had literally just met this girl a _week_ ago, and he had invited her into his hoard. Sure, she was _technically_ a part of his hoard as well, but there was no guarantee he could get her to stay. She obviously traveled and worked as an independent mage; it was just a coincidence that she wanted to join Fairy Tail. What if telling her about his hoarding scared her off and she went to Enca? She was obviously interested in going there. Yeah, he could try to find her, but it could take years- hell, he still hadn't even found _Igneel_ and it'd been almost a decade!

The water stopped running so Natsu sped up his endeavors to clear away the evidence of his draconic tendencies. He was halfway through collecting the laundry scattered around when she finally came out of the bathroom, patting her long hair dry with one of his matted towels. "Do you want me to do the dishes?" she inquired with a tilt of her head. "You got almost everything else done already." She dropped the towel in his dirty hamper, the pure scent that wafted from it making his mind blank for a moment, and began stacking dishes expertly on her arms.

"Ya don't gotta-"

"It's fine, Natsu. You go take your shower now, and I'll finish up out here," she called from the kitchen, the clattering of dishes punctuating her words. A serene smile spread across his features as he wandered into the bathroom, a pair of relatively clean clothes tucked under his arm.

And when Happy got back a little later, he was hit with sorrowful nostalgia. He looked over the clean house, finding Natsu and Lucy tucked away on the couch. She was reading something, a blanket thrown over her lap and her hair up in a messy bun while the dragon slayer stared at her creepily- studying how well she melded with the rest of his hoard, Happy was sure.

* * *

"I don't get it." Happy's voice struck through the stillness in the air like thunder, the golden haired female currently pouring over a book on healing jumping so suddenly that her enchanted glasses nearly fell from her nose. "What kind of magic do you use? Are you like Porlyusica?"

Furrowing his eyebrows, Natsu sat up lazily and eyed the cat warily. "Haps, ya know she does star ghost magic."

"Celestial spirit magic," she corrected gently, "and I'm not all too sure who this Porlyusica person is, but I do know a few rather basic spells. That does include a couple healing spells, but I found that herbal remedies are much easier to enchant than it is conjuring healing energy from nothing." Her attention shifted back to her book, reading at a much slower pace than before. "Healing is actually fairly difficult and most healers are just enchanters with herbs. It's rare to find actual healers- only some wind mages can use their magic to heal without exhausting themselves."

"Show me all the key guys you've got!" Happy demanded enthusiastically.

"No way, that would consume a lot of power. They're called celestial spirits, too, not _key guys_." She rolled her eyes at the phrase before snapping her book closed and leaning forward, peering over her glasses in a very 'stern librarian' look. "I have contracts with ten spirits currently, and three of which are of the twelve zodiac gates. The seven silver keys don't take too much magic to summon, but each spirit has a different power requirement. For example, Crux, the southern cross, takes up less magic than Monoceros, the unicorn. Crux is an intellectual spirit, meant for information, and Monoceros is a defensive spirit, meant for fighting."

"What about the dragon?" Natsu piped in from behind her, the blonde looking over her shoulder to see him.

"Nyra is my most powerful silver key," she admitted softly, fingers brushing lovingly against the metal. "She's a guardian type, and she controls size manipulation, which is much more prominent than many of the magics other spirits carry. Maintaining her gate doesn't drain me much, it's more of when she's fighting that it becomes taxing." The more she spoke, the less the pair understood, nodding along dumbly as she rambled, and when she noticed she snapped her jaw closed and ducked her head to hide her flush, suddenly wishing she hadn't closed her book.

"Can I see Aiyah?" the dragon slayer breathed, far closer to the blonde than she originally thought.

"Nyra," she corrected gently before nodding and pulling the key out. "Open gate of the northern dragon, Draco." Silver scales gleamed unnaturally in the dim lighting, the graceful movements of lean muscle so much different than the bulk he recalled on Igneel, but those golden eyes looked identical. "Natsu and Happy, this is Nyra. Nyra, these are-"

"I know who they are," she interrupted, not unkindly. "You should be resting, though. May the stars learn _why_ you've decided to go on a job tomorrow instead of looking for a place to stay. You're going to need energy to have an enchantment day, so you can't force yourself to satisfy the childish whims of every dunce you come across."

"Nyra, play nice," the blonde scolded lowly. "They're letting me stay here, and we had agreed to go on a job. If you'd like for me to waste the rest of my spending jewel on a shady motel I'll have to magically seal, then we can do that by all means."

"No ya can't," the roset cut in swiftly, a familiar panic in his eyes that made the dragon snort in amusement.

"Already? One would have thought the great son of Igneel could control himself better," she teased, the bite to her tone making Lucy scowl. "What was it? This?" Golden hair slipped off of the slowly moving tail, and he ducked his chin below the boundaries of his scarf, huffing out wisps of smoke as the dragon cackled.

"What are you talking about?"

Natsu opened his mouth, ready to spill everything- either to save whatever pride he still had or to keep her happy, no one could tell. Nyra, instead, slapped his shoulder with her tail and said, "It's none of your concern for now." Lucy hated that she wasn't going to get any information from her spirit, but she closed her mouth and nodded, respectful of their boundaries. "Go make a contract with Nikora while we talk."

The young woman was visibly displeased, pursing her lips and narrowing her eyes, but yet again ignored the negative feelings in favor of standing and leaving them to their own devices.

"She looked angry," he murmured anxiously, watching the door to the kitchen intensely. "Is she angry?"

"Yes, but she'll get over it," the spirit scoffed. "Don't go whining every time she gets pissy. People aren't always happy, get over it." He quickly decided that he wouldn't be consulting the stars regarding dragon things, which was quite disappointing considering how much stronger his urges became the older he got. "Listen kid, I won't tell her anything you don't want me to unless it becomes a danger to her, but she isn't someone you should be afraid of telling."

"Wait, ya ain't leavin' yet, are ya?" he rushed out, recognizing a goodbye for what it was. "I got so many more questions! Are ya happy? Do ya know where Igneel is?"

"Goodness, boy, of course I'm happy," she hissed. "And I do know where your dragon is, but it's not my place to tell you." She stuck her nose into the air, ignoring her sympathetic feelings, before huffing out a haughty, "If that's all," before disappearing.

He stood quickly, gritting his teeth in anger while his fingers itched to hold both Happy and Lucy- her snide spirit knew where Igneel was and was too stubborn to tell him, but that meant he had time to break her resolve.

A beaming smile came to his face under the realization that he now had a reason- a real, logical reason- to hoard the blonde away and Natsu grabbed it with both hands. He was determined to keep her close.

"Hey Luce," he called when he entered the room to see her coddling a little shaking snowman. "Let's form a team!"

* * *

**Hey guys! So I'm in a wonderful mood because Saturday was my friend's dog's adoptiversary and that cute little pit is my favorite baby in the world! On top of that, I've been moved to a different department and I'm training for the job, so my beta kind of hates me right now (I don't blame them at all. I literally finished this chapter a day ago and I want to try to get ahead again). I'm super duper tired, I just got home from a meeting, and so this will be a very short author note. If y'all have any questions, ask, any suggestions, tell, etc. I love you all so much!**

**Reviews!**

**19vanelkc, I've started Dragon Incident's I believe, and it was pretty good. I haven't read too much from her that I can remember. I did do the double update! I love Between the Lines! I'm reading through it again, it's like my third time lmao. I love the story, and it honestly inspired some of this story, especially later chapters. I haven't read Celestial Dragon yet, but there was one about the wild west or something but it also had the dragons in it and I really loved that one. If anyone knows what story I'm talking about, comment so I can reread!**

Melancholy's Sunshine**, was Macao saved epically enough? Macao will be one of Mira's many informants regarding their relationship- especially later when Wendy and Romeo get close and they have to have awkward talks about it. He will definitely be a hindrance to her finding her own place. **

**ProbablyEpsilon, double the binge indeed! I know the whole 'Natsu laying on Lucy's lap'/'Lucy helping Natsu's motion sickness' is a really popular trope, but I'm such a sucker for it! I can't wait to introduce Wendy into the story! I love her so much!**

**Aliviacevbra, thank you so much!**

**Neleh9313, you're so precious! I hated when the series ended, honestly, and I've been a sucker for nalu romance ever since I started watching the anime. I really haven't been too great until fairly recently and I'm so thrilled that everyone seems to like this story. There aren't many stories like this out there, and most are discontinued anyways, so I totally get it. I love your support already, and if you have any suggestions or requests, feel free to let me know! It may not be a main story, but I'm willing to have a multi chapter out that I can update whenever I get to it for when you guys are waiting. Sorry, tired rambles. **

**Littlest1, thank you! I definitely thought she would have been much more exposed to threats and more quick in finding solutions, considering she's been on the run for a year and surviving. I totally agree, because they literally almost die like eight hundred times before Nirvana, so how are they still alive? Obviously, they either have a healer (which was said to be insanely rare anyways) or they pay thousands in medical bills. Cana and Lucy will bond over reading stars, cards, and lacrimas, for sure. **

**SeriousHugsies, thank you so much!**

**Yoru no Nx, hell yeah! She'll kick ass all over!**

**Valerioux, thank you a bunch!**

**Softkittypaw, you're so sweet! Spring break usually isn't enough to heal, especially not from a surgery. I hope you heal correctly! Thank you for your continued support!**

**DemonMistress, thank you so much, love!**

**DreamWeaver2121, thank you!**

**Bakers28, I can't wait either! When she learns that Gildarts is Cana's father and he doesn't know and she goes and whoops his ass and he's just like wtf but also tears and love and then Lucy starts acting like a mom with two overly affectionate/overly aggressive children. She's more worried because it's fairly common that spirits are mistreated- magical animals as well, most likely- and it's a literal dragon and she doesn't want him to think she's mistreating the dragon or anything. Thank you!**


	7. Chapter seven

**Chapter seven**

Lucy hadn't realized she would have an audience while making her contract- she hadn't done so since she had made a contract with Aquarius just before her mother passed and she honestly never thought she would again. Regardless, Happy wanted to watch and she wasn't willing to kick him out of the kitchen she was using.

"Show me the blood bonding!" the cat chirped.

"There's no blood bond," she tutted playfully, torn between amusement and annoyance. "Honestly, it's kind of boring, but it's necessary. Just watch." She pulled out the silver key, magic pulsing throughout the room as she brought the energy to the key. "I am the person who connects the road to the celestial spirit world, thou shalt respond to my calling and pass through the gate." Happy watched in awe. Light was pouring out from the key, from her hair, her skin, the air; the silver and gold mingled despite having no clear origin- he had never seen such pretty magic before. "Open the gate of canis minor, Nikora!"

The light was suddenly flying back into a single spot in the air, a tiny pop sounded, and a quivering snowman appeared and let out an excited, "Puuun!"

"What the hell is that?" Happy screeched, jaw dropped and eyes wide.

"This is _Nikora_, a companion spirit," Lucy said defensively, dropping to her knees in front of the creature. "Nikora's appeal is that they don't draw too much magic out of the mage while also manipulating emotions. It's useful when you're injured and you need to calm down or when you can't get to sleep." She scrambled to pull a notebook and pen out of her back pocket- did she always have one in there?- and flipped to an empty page. "Moving on to the contract- are you available on Mondays?" The little spirit shook his head, and she went on, listing each day of the week and marking down the response.

"That's kinda plain, isn't it?" the cat mumbled softly, as if he didn't realize he was saying it.

"It might be, but it's the foundation of the trust built between a spirit and mage," she told him, signing her name elegantly before passing the writing supplies over to the snowman. "If I called Nikora out on a Monday, when he's asked me for the day off, it would be breaking the trust he put in me to respect his boundaries, so he could disconnect his spirit from his key and form a new one. It's really only the zodiac that can't do so, just because there's only one key each." She turned her attention back to the spirit when he passed her notebook back, and she smiled as she picked him up. "Now that our contract's done, I guess we should name you. How do you feel about Plue?"

"Plue?" the cat sniggered behind a paw.

"Yeah. Plue is Alaskitian for further, and what better name is there to give a companion spirit than further?" she asked, sincerity in her eyes. "Every time I speak to him or think of him, I remind myself that I can keep going. There's still room to grow, to improve. I can still further myself." Happy stared at her with wonder- she found something so profound in a word that kind of sounded like a baby made it up- and he could have sworn that she had stolen Levy's brain. The moment was shattered as Natsu came rushing into the room, his eyes shining brighter than the fairy lights that had followed her through the Pergrande Kingdom.

"Hey Luce, let's form a team!" he cheered out suddenly, so suddenly that it took even Happy a moment to bounce up with enthusiasm.

Confusion overtook the blonde, shooting a questioning look towards the cat as she mouthed, "A team?"

"Aye! While it's true all the members of the guild are family, we make teams with whoever gets along best! If you're in a team, difficult jobs become easier," he explained, as if she wouldn't understand the appeal of teaming up with another mage. Even Lucy had to admit that her rather sour streak of luck has been nearly canceled out by Natsu's presence, and she was pretty sure he would die without someone responsible hanging around- the state of his house made her wonder just how he had survived this long.

"That sounds fun," she agreed softly, a smile on her face. She kept her doubts to herself, fighting every urge in her body to peek once more at the bundle of jobs with the S-class stamp on them from where they were peeking around dirty dishes. She would hate to snoop- he respected her privacy so she would give him the same courtesy- and she had to admit that his rank did little to ease her worries. Why would an S-class mage want to team up with her?

* * *

"Damn! That job at the Everlue mansion for two hundred thousand jewels is gone. Did someone take it, Mira?" a little lapis haired mage hummed, flanked by a pair of lanky guys.

"Yes," the model squealed excitedly. "Lucy, Natsu, and Happy decided to take it after they got back from Mount Hakobe."

"I was thinking about taking that job," she mumbled disappointedly, pouting cutely at the request board.

"Perhaps it's best those three took it, Levy," Makarov said from his place on the bar, worry lining his face in wrinkles. "That job has just become a little troublesome. The client just contacted us and the reward has been raised to two million jewels, or so I was told."

"That's ten times more!" Levy screeched.

Cana choked around her beer. "Two million jewels for some book?"

"Master, why all of the sudden…?" Mirajane whispered. "That's the same as a reward for an S-class mission. What's going on?" The old man waved off her concern, taking a swig of beer as the snowy haired woman fretted.

"Don't worry yourself, Mirajane," he said flippantly. "Even if we aren't entirely sure of Lucy's power, Natsu is an S-class mage and can handle breaking into some library or another."

"The job was to steal from an aristocrat," Levy argued, a crease in her eyebrows giving away her own nerves. "Natsu won't know the first thing about being discreet, nor how to _steal_ from an _aristocrat_."

"He'll probably burn the whole mansion down as a distraction and fail the mission," Gray tacked on smoothly.

No one seemed to acknowledge their elderly guild master as he spiraled towards despair as he thought about all the wreckage that would surely come out of this job.

* * *

Lucy was exhausted, and yet she was unwilling to sleep first. She had made dinner in hopes that food would make the two tired, but her strict diet of long lasting vegetables and potatoes hadn't satisfied the pair- though they had been kind enough to keep quiet about it. They were all huddled on the couch now; Lucy's legs tucked under a blanket again while she skimmed through a book rather quickly. Natsu and Happy were curled up together on the other side of the couch, focused on the entertainment lacrima in Natsu's hands. She was already dozing, her eyes drifting shut as she wormed her way farther under the blanket to lay down, and she had to admit that she definitely appreciated the warmth sinking into her feet from Natsu's thigh.

The next time the roset peeked at the blonde, she was sleeping against the arm of his couch with her finger sandwiched in her book and her glasses crookedly falling from her nose. A soft smile crossed his face as he stood and set to work making her comfortable, shoving the ribbon that Lucy used as a bookmark in her place and setting both the book and her glasses on the table in front of her.

"Did you talk to her dragon?" Happy asked softly, crawling over to study the sleeping female.

"Yeah," Natsu mumbled. His hands were fluttering over her, wanting to do more but unsure how to go about that- or maybe he was just nervous to wake her up. He really hadn't seen her sleep much, anyways. "She knows I wanna hoard Luce, an' she ain't gonna blab." It was different between knowing Natsu wanted to hoard this stranger and hearing it from the dragon slayer himself, and Happy couldn't really deny the sadness that washed over him. "Don't worry, lil buddy. Nothin's set in stone yet."

"I know. Let's go to sleep, though. We have to get up early if we're gonna walk to Shirotsume Town," the cat suggested, hopping off of the couch and wandering back towards their room.

"We can take a carriage. It's not that far," the dragon slayer mumbled sheepishly.

"You just wanna cuddle with Lucy."

"No I don't!"

* * *

Lucy wasn't exactly sure why Natsu always suggested taking carriages to their jobs- maybe he was a masochist or something of that sort- but she had to admit that her feet were eternally grateful towards his willingness to suffer through motion sickness. She relished in the padded cushions that supported her curves and not even Natsu deciding to use her as a pillow could ruin her relaxation- nothing like the wooden benches of their last carriage. She hummed appreciatively, head falling back to rest against the seat, as Happy claimed the spot across from them.

Four hours into the ride, she found herself wondering just how Natsu and Happy slept so much. "It must come with using so much magic," she breathed before scolding herself mentally for speaking aloud. The dragon slayer in her laps shifted a little, and the cat across from her opened a single bleary eye before resuming his sleep.

Rolling her eyes and chalking it up to a phrase she had already heard many times at Fairy Tail- a dramatic eye roll followed by a sighed out, _"Men,"_\- she returned to reading the runic spell book and drawing symbols on her thigh. Lucy lost herself in the words, not realizing when they hit a bump that woke Natsu up- even the cranky dragon slayer woke up when his head hit the cushioned bench, and he was not happy about the rude awakening.

"You're alright," the blonde soothed absentmindedly when he whined, free hand coming around to rest in his rosy hair. "We should almost be there by now." He groaned pitifully and dropped his face back into her thigh, his hot breath shocking her away from the pages with a flush on her cheeks. "Don't _do_ that." Her hands dropped to swat gently at his head, laughter puffing against her thigh and she pushed at his shoulders. "Stop, that feels weird!"

"Will you two keep it down? Some of us want to sleep," Happy mumbled teasingly. He curled more tightly into a ball, ignoring the pair frozen stiff on the next bench over, both embarrassed and sporting quickly reddening faces.

"We weren't doing anything!" Lucy cried out quickly. "Natsu keeps breathing on me!"

"Sure, sure. Coulda fooled me."

* * *

"I'll never ride a carriage ever again," Natsu whimpered as he trudged after Lucy, the blonde practically skipping as she shielded her eyes from the sun.

"You say that all the time," Happy pointed out from beside him.

"I mean it this time." The dragon slayer was obviously lying, but no one called him on his bluff. "I'm hungry. Let's go eat."

"We should get a hotel first and put our stuff away," Happy chimed in.

"I'm not all that hungry anyways, I can get the hotel. You guys go eat," the celestial mage offered. "I know the cutest little inn anyways!"

"But it's more fun to eat together," Natsu argued.

"Aye." Suddenly, Happy's eyes took on a devious gleam and both mages cringed away from him. "I'll book the hotel. I have an errand to run, anyways!" He zoomed off before either parties could protest- why couldn't Lucy just get the hotel?- and she rolled her eyes before turning her attention to Natsu.

"Where do you want to eat?"

* * *

There was something nerve wracking about eating in front of people that made Lucy nibble at a sandwich, absolutely _refusing _to order whatever greasy meat Natsu was shoveling down his throat.

"Natsu! Lucy! Look what I found!" Happy's voice suddenly sounded, suspiciously thrilled, and Lucy was _fairly_ sure that the bag he was currently carrying was from a chain of adult stores that had begun to integrate from Bosco.

"I don't think I want to-"

"It's a maid costume for Lucy!" He held up the skimpy outfit- was the white material see through?- and Natsu began choking on his meal while the blonde slammed her forehead against the table hard enough to rattle the cutlery.

"The master of the house provides a maid outfit, Happy. Besides, I'm pretty sure most of that is lingerie," Lucy breathed out with a cherry red face. "Put it away, please."

"But the lasagna matches the gloves and socks!"

Natsu immediately objected. "There's no way-"

"Gloves?" Lucy interrupted with a thoughtful look on her face. Their table grew dead silent, watching the blonde as she stood and moved to inspect the costume. "I probably should cover my guild mark, at the very least. I don't have anything to match this, though." She pursed her lips, muttering unintelligibly to herself under her breath.

"Ya ain't really considerin' this, are ya?" Natsu asked, coming around to study the outfit over her shoulder.

"It… would probably be best," she finally admitted. Snarling inaudibly, she swiped the bag from the cat and marched into the restaurant while her partners took their seats on the terrace. Happy looked up to see the dragon slayer scowling towards his food, and he sighed.

"Why are you so pouty? Do you _not_ want to see her in that?" the feline asked, eyeing the flush that spread over the grumpy man's cheeks. "Exactly! She might not even fit it. She has really big-"

"But what if she wears it," he whined suddenly. "He's a womanizin' pervert! Ya know she wants ta do this job alone. What if he kidnaps her, or sells her- or _touches_ her."

"Yeah right! You saw her kick Vulkin ass!"

"But Vulkins're dumb!"

"So are guys," Lucy sang as she came back outside. She seemed unbothered by the skirt that rode so close to her butt that she couldn't even wear shorts under it, ignoring the breeze that flooded the sheer button up blouse and taking a seat. "I'm not going to lie, this may be a better idea than I thought. He's known to be a pervert, so of course I would want to show a little skin. Keep his eyes on me and away from what we're doing." The dazzling smile she gave the pair seemed so strange with her current outfit, and yet the moment a shrill whistle sounded their way, the light disappeared from her face.

Natsu spun around with a fierce growl, standing so suddenly Lucy and Happy both jumped up to try and calm him down. "What makes ya think she wants ya whistlin' at her?" he shouted heatedly, people fleeing when the temperature began to spike.

"Natsu, it's alright, honestly," Lucy soothed in gentle and slightly panicked tones. "This isn't the first time some loser on the street has catcalled me, and it definitely won't be the last." She gave him a stern look when he hissed something dark under his breath, but he shrunk back slightly at the experienced way she branded the look- quirked eyebrows, pursed lips, and wide eyes peeking up through thick lashes. "I am… _decently_ attractive, and many guys think with a head they don't wear on their shoulders." He suddenly couldn't decipher between the anger from her insult- like he would allow something only _decently_ attractive into his hoard- and the sheer mass of catcalls she must have recieved to brush it off so easily.

"I don't think you're helping much," Happy stage whispered. "Just hide her, Natsu."

"What?"

* * *

"Come _on_ Natsu, it's been an hour!" She pushed weakly at the arms wound around her shoulders- oh, she was going to strangle Happy the moment she got out of the prison _he_ inflicted on her- and Natsu ignored her to snarl at a passing couple. "The guy isn't even here anymore!"

"Do ya _not_ see everyone starin' at ya?" he asked her, eyebrows furrowing.

"Everyone's staring because you're holding me like this," she argued quickly; she was starting to get uncomfortably hot and if he made her sweat, she was going to throttle him as well. "We can't waddle like this to the client's house. I'll put on my cloak or a skirt or _anything_, just-"

"Maybe you should just carry her," Happy giggled out around his paw.

"Haven't you done enough damage? Stop giving him ideas!" the blonde cried out in horror, looking betrayed. "Come on. I think my underwear is showing and I want to change, so let's just get this mission over with." She broke away from his arms, fingers curling around his wrist as if for some comfort- or maybe to make people think they were dating, though Lucy was sure she looked more like a prostitute leading her client somewhere. She lowered her head in shame at how far from grace she has fallen and she found herself unable to look at the large mansion towering over them.

"Woah! Look at how cool this mansion is!" Happy cheered. "This Duke Evaroo is loaded."

"Duke Everlue," the blonde chided. "This is the client's house, though. I assume Duke Everlue's would be larger." Lucy seemed oblivious to the shell shocked pair behind her; sure, they were allowed to take S-class jobs now, but even the rewards (after damages, food, and transportation) wouldn't be enough for such a grand house. She obliviously continued talking, "Even so, someone who's willing to pay two hundred thousand jewel for a book must be wealthy in his own right." She peeked over her shoulder, a sudden icy fear that she said too much coursing through her veins until she realized the pair were just gaping dumbly at the building before them. "Come on, you guys." She had laughter in her eyes as they jogged to join her on the top step. "You guys don't deal with aristocrats very often, do you?"

She winced at how crudely he knocked, sure they would receive a scolding for either his brashness or their attire- something she wished she had seen to _before_ they were about to meet their client. Still, the door parted slightly and a single eye peeked through the crack. "May I have your names, please?" a tremulous voice asked, and red flags began to flare in the blonde's mind.

"We're from the magic guild, Fairy Tail-"

"Be quiet, please!" Happy jumped back in shock, his voice dying in his throat, and everyone else was stunned to silence. "Could you all please enter from the back door?" Before they could answer, the door was slammed in their face and they were left standing in the threshold of the mansion with varying degrees of shock and outrage on their faces.

"Come on," Lucy grumbled iritably, snagging Natsu's wrist and stooping down to scoop Happy into her arms. "Let's just get this over with."

* * *

There was absolutely no way the couple before them owned the lavish house- the furniture was generic, even for the wealthy, they had no help despite the building being three stories tall, and they both had a sag to their shoulders that told of hard work. "I'm terribly sorry about earlier. I'm the client, Kirby Melon, and this is my wife, Ronda Melon."

"Did you hear that, Natsu? Their name is melon!" Happy purred out from between his teammates.

"Sounds yummy," the dragon slayer mumbled distractedly, eyes glazed over at the thought of food.

"You two are being rude," Lucy scolded softly, her voice no higher than a hiss.

"That's quite alright. People actually tell me that quite often," Kirby laughed off graciously, yet another strike against their façade. "I never would have imagined that a team of mages from such a renowned guild such as Fairy Tail would ever accept this job. And you're all so young, too. You must be famous."

"Well, Natsu is known as Salamander," Happy agreed quickly. "I'm Happy, the Catamander, and this is Lucy, the newbie."

"Still, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, surely," Lucy said swiftly, her eyes lacking their usual warmth in place of calculated focus. Her teammates grew silent, watching her with worry when she didn't rise to Happy's challenge- not that she usually did, but she typically got this pinched look that meant she was holding back an insult. "Especially with such a high reward. Two hundred thousand jewel for stealing a book, even if it is from someone as influential as Duke Everlue, is quite a generous payment."

"Two hundred thousand? You must not have gotten word- I've raised the reward to two million jewels," the dark haired man said. "There is only one copy of _Day Break_ in Earthland, and that Duke Everlue owns it. I'm asking you to incinerate it."

"Two _million_?" Natsu and Happy murmured together under their breaths, dazed- Happy couldn't even imagine all of the fish he could buy with that kind of money while Natsu panicked because _that was almost as high as an S-class reward_.

"Incinerate it? That's surprising. I figured you would have wanted such a valuable book for yourself," the celestial mage challenged, gracefully crossing one leg over her other knee and threading her fingers together in her lap. For a moment, you could almost forget that she was wearing nothing more than an intimate costume. "What importance does the book hold, anyways?"

"We aren't gonna get paid _two million jewel_ asking questions! Let's go burn down a mansion!" Happy cheered, sprouting wings and scooping the blonde off of the couch, ignoring her squeal and pleas to put her down- what did _he _care if her underwear was showing?

The couple, both wrinkled and greying with age, watched as Natsu chased the pair down, screaming at the cat to put down their friend or he'd burn everyone who looked at her- maybe not just a friend, then, Ronda thought.

Glancing towards her husband, who deflated against the plush cushions of the couch he now occupied alone, she felt worry ebb at her conscience once again. "Darling, are you sure you can entrust such an important job to kids like them? The other guild failed the same mission just last week. We're lucky that Duke Everlue thinks it nothing but a failed robbery," she began rambling, worry urging her words to fly more quickly. "There is no doubt that the security has been tightened. It will be even more difficult for them to get into the mansion now. And if it links back to being our request, we could get in serious trouble."

"I know," Kirby growled into his palms. "I know that, but I just need to remove that book from this world. No matter the cost."

* * *

**Hey guys! First and foremost, a HUGE shoutout to my beta, savwafair, because she literally went through this whole chapter and fixed everything in like two hours and it took me like a week to write it. On the bright side, I (hopefully) will be getting more writing time and will (again, hopefully) get a good cushion for her to work with. She is also the funniest person in the world, she makes all these sassy comments in my docs and ooh I wish I could hear those reactions from everyone because those are the best! Also, she compared Natsu's irritation over Lucy calling herself decently attractive to a One Direction song, so she keeps me humble (kidding, she boots my ego like no other). **

**Other than that, I spent $100 on a dog nail grinder and I kinda wanna die but it's also a _really good _dog nail grinder, so yeah. I also got a mouse I named Oreo, and I'm pretty sure she hates me, but it's fine. What are author notes anyways? I'm so sorry to anyone who reads these, I have to be up in like four hours.**

**Reviews!**

**SoftKittyPaw, thank you so much! I really love my new department, and even though I loved my old department, I don't have to deal with the horny old men that can harass me anymore, so it's great! Are you still in pain? And are you able to rest at school and recover? Be careful not to hurt yourself during recovery. I hope this chapter can help take your mind off of your pain for a while!**

**19vanelkc, I can't get enough of obessed!Natsu in general! I will absolutely do a scene of him drying her hair! You bet your ass it's gonna be after Phantom Lord (I might even do a hair washing and drying scene. We'll see how spicy I feel while writing.) Everyone takes time to tell me how they feel, so of course I want to give everyone that recognition. Even if they're just a guest, each review makes me so happy and it really makes my dedication to this story that much stronger. **

**Rere97Maui, I really love that he hoarded her because of her hair, but for an entirely different reason. I am making a theory that celestial magic is based on genetics (magic is genetic, of course, but listen to this.) Yukino has mainly silver keys and she has silver hair. Lucy has mainly golden keys and she has golden hair. Layla had golden hair and all the golden keys. Anna had mainly golden keys and she had golden hair. Angel had silver keys (and a murder streak to get her a couple golden keys) and silver hair. Yukino got her two golden keys while Lucy was "dead" (trapped on Tenrou for years) and they were seeking out a mage. Could you imagine if she had silver hair instead, and he completely bypassed her? She would have been a slave in Bosco, probably dead because she's defiant as hell. I don't know if my rambles make sense, but yeah. Also primal Natsu thinking "ooh shiny. mine." is hella funny. **

**Melancholy's Sunshine, Macao is such a little traitor for that. Natsu's a little cuddle monster, but if he likes how you smell, he'll be all over you. It'll definitely take a little while (and Gajeel and Wendy's _gentle _guidance) to realize what it means. He definitely won't be overly friendly at first, but Virgo and Natsu will definitely be great friends (pink haired pervert club? I think yes). Happy honestly just forgets about the key. Tragic, really. **

**DemonMistress, thank you so much! I also love their dynamic, and I can't wait for the rest of the teams to form! **

**Littlest1, Natsu technically can't even cauterize his wounds (fire doesn't work against him) so he literally just does pressure or something dumb like wrapping it without cleaning it and waiting until Mira or Levy can help him. Erza is definitely one of the most medically trained in Fairy Tail (Mira, Levy, Laki, Freed, Erza, and Elfman are the first that pop into my mind as far as medical experience goes). I can just imagine Wendy and Lucy enjoying tea at the bar and hearing some kind of commotion and they turn to each other like new parents and go "Whose turn is it?" or "It's your turn. I saved them last week." Cana and Mira are forces to be reckoned with, especially together. Thank you. I'm trying for accuracy. **

**ProbablyEpsilon, I almost made them start it sooner. They're like that to anyone who isn't Lucy to a certain extent. They come from the stars, so technically they watch over everyone and see what kind of responses work well with which people, part of the reason Loke can be a playboy so easily. The story was Wild Aces and I'm so hyped to reread it!**

**DreamWeaver2121, I love my Natsu, too! Isn't it just the best? I love these dragon instinct stories for this reason! Thank you so much!**

**MoonWatcherFan, I haven't read that one yet, though I started it. I'm going to binge read it when there's more chapters out (I can't stand waiting, I don't know how you guys do it. I lose my mind.) Thank you! I've been looking for sites to read manga on!**

**ChaosreigN, you are so precious oh my stars! I tried to be more in depth and I'm glad it's working out!**

**Valerioux, only for a little while. Lucy will be getting her own ****apartment****, unfortunately.**

**Naru285, thank you so much! **

**Savwafair, I didn't realize you reread the whole story, you're so precious! Just go on the ideas doc and look through future events and tell me how much everyone will hate me in the future! Make every comment and reaction, I love them so much! I'll try to get a buffer in here. No more late night editing for us! (Who am I kidding, there will probably be late night editing regardless) The story is Wild Aces!**

**KayDragonide, you're so cute! I'll keep giving chapters on Mondays! Wait until Gajeel and Wendy and Laxus and Sting and Rogue and even Cobra show up and it's like a bunch of alphas (then Sting and Rogue trynna be alphas) and Wendy gets annoyed and floors everyone and they're all like wtf just happened! Ah I love it!**

**Yoru no Nx, It's almost 2am for me too so I'm always tired. This is my only real writing time and I have to be up at 5am for work and I got an 8 hour! Send me support guys! I can tell you that _eventually_ they will live together. In the distant future. Very distant. Oh, Gajeel's gonna have a blast. Don't let his ass whooping fool you. **

**, I personally like this version better, though that's probably obvious. Thank you so much, honey!**


	8. Chapter eight

**Chapter eight**

It wasn't fair how expertly she moved her hips, one side dipping with a step before the other followed its lead, and yet the impossibly short skirt never exposed so much as a stray thread from her undergarments.

"Excuse me," she sang out in a voice like honey, a valley girl accent peeking through her words. "I came to apply for the blonde maid position!" Natsu had to admit it, those heels did wonders for her legs- how could they be so _long_ when she was so tiny? He wondered how she got those stupid lacy stockings to stay so loyally against her high thighs; only mere inches of creamy skin exposed between her skirt and the lace borders of her socks. He was so distracted when a stray breeze tussled the golden hair she had meticulously worked into two perfect twin tails that he hardly even realized there was a communication lacrima on the gate. "Excuse me." The drawl to her sugary voice sent shivers down the dragon slayer's spine- a fact that earned him a weird look from Happy, who sat beside him in the bushes- and he almost couldn't convince himself that the flash of scarlet had been his imagination and _not_ her underwear. "Is there anyone here?"

A small scream passed through her lips when her ankle twisted painfully, the tiles beneath her feet crumbling out of their meticulous places to give way to a hole that a monstrous woman shot out of faster than what should have been possible- especially since she was headed straight into the air out of the hole in the ground.

"A maid applicant?" the monstrous woman boomed out, voice gravelly and severe. She had hair that bordered on bubblegum pink, piercing lapis eyes, and the exact outfit Lucy wore, just _much_ more tight fitting, to the point that it exposed her rose patterned underwear. She turned back to the hole she just made, bowing her head and shouting, "There's a girl who came for the maid position, my master!"

As if it were a normal form of transportation, a stout man rocketed out of the hole, salt and pepper hair combed over to the right to hide the balding patch on the crown of his head and a handlebar mustache curling out from his nostrils- maybe those were his nose hairs? "Did you call me?" he chortled, voice a little too fluid in its infliction. "Let me see the applicant."

"Nice to meet you," Lucy said sweetly, offering up a dazzling smile instead of succumbing to her body's wish of sinking away in terror- this guy was a true creep in every definition of word and she did _not_ want him looking at her, let alone checking her out. As she spoke, his gaze crawled like an army of bugs from her face to her bust, then following the curve of her waist to inspect her butt and legs. She was trying to hide goosebumps behind her perfect smile despite how his leering was making her gag.

"Rejected!" he screamed in her face so suddenly she yelped, turning away with a pinched expression. "Go home, _ugly_. For someone as great and noble as I am, only beautiful girls suit me." He gestured behind himself to where a group of interesting women stood, all varying in appearance with no similarities that would make them attractive to the same person. A lie, then, though why he had to lie and keep women he wasn't interested in around his manor, she couldn't guess.

"That's it," the maid that would tower over even Elfman rumbled deeply, lifting Lucy by her vest and making her shriek; she could hardly breathe, her blouse lost three buttons, and she was pretty sure Natsu and Happy were just given a full view of her butt. "Time to go home, ugly."

* * *

She wasn't crying- Lucy would _never_ let herself cry over the judgements of a man again- but she certainly felt hollow and shameful. She had put her body on display like some all you can eat buffet for the eyes of a pervert, and she was tossed to the gutter like she was nothing. The blonde slipped on a pair of strappy heels she had enchanted to hold a tank top and skirt the moment she had returned to her team- if they would still allow her to call them that.

"I'm useless," she breathed against the skin of her knees, trembling as she screwed her eyes shut. The blonde had never failed a job before- nothing like what had just happened, at the very least- and now she even had other people relying on her. "I'm sorry-"

"That ain't it at all!" Natsu suddenly cried, pacing angrily and huffing plumes of smoke and wisps of flame- how _dare_ some puny human rapist defile his hoard with his perverse gaze only to _reject its quality_! Natsu would _never_ hoard something aesthetically unappealing! "Must be that his sense of beauty's fucked up!" Throwing a fist into his waiting palm, the dragon slayer spun to face his distraught partner with a ferocious grin and twisted joy in his eyes. "Now, a change 'a plans. Operation C."

"Charge!" Happy shouted, baring his fiercest face.

"How is this an operation?" Lucy wondered quietly, touched by their vengeance though unaware of how deeply it ran.

"Are you really asking stupid questions instead of kicking that pervert's ass for making you feel bad?" Happy half screamed at her, and she quirked a confused eyebrow- what had she gotten herself into with this team?

* * *

Sometimes, Everlue wondered if magic was worth the sacrifice he had given up, even if _she_ was helping to clear up his rather tainted record. He felt _her_ bright blue eyes scorching into his soul as he remembered plump breasts, a tight ass, and those pretty features that could wear a pout so well he could almost imagine it. He growled under his breath- fantasizing wasn't against the rules, he silently reminded _her_ with a scowl- before lighting a thick cigar and leaning back into his armchair and watching the footage from his security lacrimas.

"To think that brat would run away and join a guild," he rumbled out around smoke and tobacco, well aware of his extensive audience: five maids and two security personnel. "We've already had several attempted break ins, and they're getting more frequent. Try to see what they're after before killing the ruffian and his pet. Leave Lady Lucy Heartfilia relatively unharmed. I know someone who would pay a hefty sum to have her."

He shooed everyone with a single wave of his hand, waiting only until he was alone to use his communication lacrima to call a man he had never met, yet knew better than most of the townsfolk.

* * *

Lucy had never been _afraid_ of heights, per se, though she certainly wasn't comfortable soaring through the air with only her hands and Happy's paws holding her up- especially considering they were about five stories in the air. "Geez, you're heavy, Lucy," Happy grumbled as they cleared the railing, the woman dropping onto the roof softly despite her heels.

Her eyebrows threaded together in confusion, arms opening almost instinctively to catch the cat as his wings disappeared. "Am I really?" she inquired softly, almost distractedly. "I didn't think I weighed that much…"

"Why do we have to sneak in anyways?" the cat asked, draping himself over one of her forearms.

"Isn't it obvious? Even if someone else has requested it, our job is still basically a robbery," the blonde reminded him, warily watching Natsu inspect a pair of glass Stellan doors. "If anyone were to catch us, we could still get arrested."

"But the C in Operation C stands for charge, so we should take 'em by storm," the dragon slayer whined. "Go in through the front an' blow up everyone in our way."

"No way! I _really_ don't feel like being arrested." She held up her free hand when he opened his mouth to protest again, silencing him with a stern look. "I don't care how many thieves and monsters you've won against, our target this time is the town's most influential man. It doesn't matter that he's an annoying pervert, he isn't a criminal. We have to handle this discreetly or the military will take action."

"How can ya jus' forgive 'im so easily?" Natsu hissed, a wisp of smoke leaking through his lips.

"I won't forgive him, never," she promised easily, crouching in front of the door and trying the handles. "I just don't have the time and energy to waste on getting retribution, so I'll trust the heavens to enact revenge on my behalf. So no unnecessary violence, okay?" Natsu pursed his lips and shot a strange look to Happy, who sniggered at the expression. "What's with that face?"

"Nothin'," he appeased softly, moving to place his hand on a window. His temperature spiked, the glass melting around his fingers and allowing his palm to slip through and unlock the entrance from the inside. Once the door was open, Natsu and Happy were quick to slip in and start looking around while Lucy cautiously scanned around for the surveillance lacrimas she knew Everlue would have. She flicked her whip out, the lacrimas shattering upon impact, and turned her attention back to her team- where she found Happy cramming a skull over his head while Natsu laughed nearby.

"Natsu, look at me!"

"Oh, it suits ya!"

She shook her head, a small smile curling onto her lips as she turned away from them and found an ornate door.

"Come on, let's go," the blonde instructed, walking forward and taking a quick browse through the dusty books on a shelf. "I just want to get Daybreak and get out. This place gives me the creeps." It was unnerving to go on jobs with Lucy, Happy realized very quickly, and it certainly didn't help that Natsu was all danger mode or whatever this weird seriousness was. This job was out of his comfort zone- there was no laughter or joking or violence- and the only knew factor was the celestial mage, so it had to be her fault- right?

The blonde cracked the door and peeked around it so slowly that the cat nearly lost his cool; it would just be easier to have him look. No one's going to be searching for a _cat_ burglar. "No one's around," she told the pair, moving swiftly through the hallways. With no other real option but to follow her- the celestial mage seemed to have a general idea for a plan, after all, and their go to was always beating the information out of the bad guy- the duo found themselves following her down twisting corridors and rushing down flights of stairs.

"Don't ya wanna check any 'a the rooms?" Natsu asked, Lucy bringing a finger to her lips and giving him an urging look. "Ain't it faster justa find someone an' ask where it is?"

"Aye," Happy chirped in agreement.

Sighing softly, the blonde took another glance around to ensure there were no eavesdroppers before telling the pair, "We can complete the job without getting noticed. No one will ever know we were here."

"Just like a ninja!" Happy cried jovially. He was promptly picked up by Lucy when the ground began to crumble, the five maids from before hopping up and brandishing weapons- why in the name of the Celestial Spirit King would they need lacrima spears?

"Intruders detected!" the largest of them bellowed out, the rosette from before glaring heatedly towards the blonde. Lucy quickly decided that she wasn't going to stick around and fight them- she had no ill will towards them, after all- so she snagged Natsu's wrist as he prepared to defend them and took off the other way. "Eliminate the targets!"

"They aint' gonna get us jus' yet!" With a single flame powered kick, all five of them were unconscious- and how exactly Natsu had slipped out of her grip, she wasn't sure. Lucy blamed Happy.

"I bet someone's coming to investigate all the noise," the blonde mumbled, worried, and shook her head before rushing to where she concluded the library would be. "Come on, we're almost there anyways."

Unsure as to why she was making such a big deal about this job- sure, no one liked dealing with the Rune Knights, but each of the jobs given to guilds were approved by the magic council and, therefore, there wouldn't be any lasting consequences- the dragon slayer rushed after them and closed the door behind them when Lucy ducked into a room.

"Holy shit, that's a lotta books," Natsu rasped out, eyeing the library as Happy wormed his way out of Lucy's arms and hopped onto the ground.

"Duke Everlue looks stupid, but he has a good collection of books," Lucy admitted, eyeing the tomes and looking for _Daybreak_. "If he reads all of these, I might consider respecting him a little bit." Natsu and Happy were huddled together on the other side of the room, talking excitedly about the books they found, and a single glance around the room made exhaustion sweep through the blonde. "It's going to be a hassle to find one book among all of these."

"Look, a golden book!" Turning around to scold Natsu for being so loud, she found him waving a glimmering book with the bold title _Daybreak_ on the cover.

"We found it!" Happy chirped.

"Should it really be that easy to find it?" Lucy asked, though the cat waved off her concerns. The moment she was close enough to read the smaller print, she sucked in a shocked gasp and yanked the book away from Natsu's flame engulfed hand. "The author is Kemu Zaleon?" She turned bright eyes to the pair about to protest and steal the book back; however, the complete joy on her face made them pause. "He was a mage as well as an author, and he was one of the first runic mages I ever studied from. I thought I had read everything he'd written." Confusion doused her joy, eyes skimming briefly through a couple of pages before Natsu decided to interrupt.

"That's great an' all, but we gotta job ta do." He reached forward again, fully intending to take the book from the blonde, but she merely swatted at his hand and shoved the book into her bag.

"We should go before we get caught," she urged, a moment too late seeing as the floor began to crumble across the room from them.

"So that's what you guys were after," Everlue chortled as he popped into the air. "I'm glad I allowed you guys to do whatever you wanted. I'm a genius!"

Seeing the Duke up close and far away were two entirely different experiences; Natsu wasn't quite sure how Lucy had so easily flaunted herself to someone who looked like _that_.

"See, all because you were slow," Happy chided the blonde, who mumbled an apology.

"I was wondering what the mages were looking for so frantically, and it was just that worthless book." The mystery was becoming more and more intriguing- from Kemu Zaleon's magic, the client's willingness to pay two million jewels, Everlue's declaration that the book was worthless, and Kemu's real identity- and as the puzzle presented itself in her mind, she decided that she wouldn't rest until it was solved.

"If it's worthless, then you won't mind us taking it," the blonde said, a curiosity in her voice that seemed a little too intent to brush off. That didn't stop the duke, however, from continuing on with his own spiel.

"No way, ugly!" Everlue ignored Natsu's snarl in favor of continuing to ramble. "Regardless of how worthless it is, the book still belongs to me." Lucy pulled the book out once more, drawn to the magic that surrounded it but unsure what it hid; she would have to read the story for clues and solve the riddle if she wanted to see what Kemu really wrote. "This is bullshit! I don't like this at all! How dare you touch the book that belongs to me, the great Duke Everlue? Come, Vanishing Brothers!"

_That_ wasn't good, and all of them knew it. The bookshelf slid open, two silhouettes standing within the shadows. One of them spoke softly, "It's finally time for business. If we get paid without doing any work, Mama will get mad at us." Mercenaries, one bald with runic tattoos on his face and a single braid running down to his hips while the other towered over him with a spiked afro and a hooked nose. "Good afternoon," the bald one said to the rest of the room.

"These brats are mages of Fairy Tail? Mama would be surprised, too," the other spoke, his voice deeper.

"Look at the cloth on their arms," Happy urged the pair, as though they hadn't already studied the guild symbol. "They're from that mercenary guild, Southern Wolves."

"He hired guys like that?" Natsu scoffed, disgusted.

"Southern Wolves are always hungry! Prepare to die, you brats!" Everlue cheered behind the pair of mercenaries. Scanning over their opponents, both of the Southern Wolves members blanched in shock at the blonde who was completely ignoring them and continued to lean against one of the bookshelves, reading through the story with enchanted reading glasses as if they weren't even there. "Vanish brothers, retrieve the book at once and kill them!"

"What a joke," the shorter of the pair hissed out, angrily.

"They claim to be mages of Fairy Tail?" the taller growled.

This was bad, Lucy knew that more than Natsu could ever suspect, so she bolted up and took off running with a quick shout of, "Buy me some time! This book seems to hold some kind of secret!" He snagged her wrist as she passed him, panic in his eyes, and she offered him a small smile. "I'll be back, I promise. I'm not going anywhere." When she shook his fingers off this time, she made it out of a side door she shouldn't have known about- honestly, who looked behind curtains for doors?- and Everlue grinned maliciously.

"Secret?" he mouthed before turning his attention to the pair in front of him. "Change of plans! I'll get that pesky princess myself! Obliterate this brat!" He dove head first into the ground, leaving a hole in his wake, and the Vanishing Brothers sighed.

"Selfish clients tire me out," the bald one said, his partner murmuring his agreement.

"It's gotten troublesome. Haps, go after Luce," the dragon slayer instructed, the cat nodding and taking off through the secret door instead of the hole in the ground that would probably spit him out right where Lucy was.

"C'mon, _flame_ mage," the bald mercenary taunted, beckoning the man forward.

"How d'ya know I'mma flame mage?" Natsu snarled, muscles taut.

"We saw everything on the surveillance lacrimas. That girl, the key holder, was smart to destroy them, but not soon enough. She's likely a celestial spirit mage, and she has- what was it? Ten contracts? The cat flies, so he undoubtedly uses an ability type, aera. And you melted glass and wore flames on your legs. You most likely use an ability type of flame magic."

"Ya watched us well," the dragon slayer muttered, slightly shocked. A wicked grin overcame his face, however, as flames rose to decorate his hand. "That means yer prepared ta end up charred, right?"

"Unfortunately, allow me to decline," the shorter said, grabbing the large frying pan- really? A frying pan?- from his back and swinging it easily with a single hand. "Flame mages are the easiest of opponents for me." The silence that reigned between them held no fear, which angered both the Southern Wolves and the Fairy Tail mage. "It seems like the Fairy Tail mages think that they are the strongest or something."

"It is true that we hear a lot about you," the tall one said, rocking lazily on his heels. "So, I guess we can approve of its status as a mage guild, but a mage is a mage. You're no match for the professional fighters known as mercenary soldiers."

"Then why don't ya come an' get me? Ya can fight together, too, it's fine," he taunted, flames dancing on his fingers and spelling out _come on_. Okay, so he was _definitely_ showing off, but he had to do something to keep his mind on the fight and not on the panic threatening to overtake him.

"Nii-chan, he's really lookin' down on us," the taller of the pair gritted out through gnashed teeth.

"Since the opponent is a flame mage that I'm adept at handling, this should be easy business, don't you think?" the smaller asked impassively despite the rage knitting his eyebrows. They charged in sync, Natsu hopping away from the frying pan and nearly losing his vest when the man with the afro tried to snag him; that made him unable to avoid the pan this time and was ultimately hit and flying through the wall. They chased after him and watched his controlled movements as he flipped from the railing to the next floor down where the five maids from before laid sprawled out on the floor.

"Is it really okay for ya ta break yer employer's house?" he taunted, a cocky smirk coming to his lips while the pair fumed.

"Do you know the weak point of a mage?" the shorter of the mercenaries seethed. "It is the _body_. You cannot learn to control magic without training your intellect and spirit, and, as a result, during the process of mastering magic, your body does not get enough training." Despite his words, neither of the mercenaries could land another hit on the mage, who twisted with control they rarely saw outside of a mercenary guild.

"That means, compared to us, who train our body day and night, you ain't no match in either power or speed," the taller cackled. "One time, there was this mage. He spent years masterin' the curse magic which can break all your opponent's bones. We encountered him once, but before he could cast the curse spell, one hit and we broke all his bones. Years of effort wasted by just one hit."

"That's just how mages are," the shorter one stated, the pair attacking at once and still missing the dragon slayer. "If they don't have their magic, they don't even have the average power of a human being!" The frying pan shattered the marble where Natsu had just been standing as he flipped away with unusual agility.

"Ya say all that, but none of yer attacks are hittin' me," he pointed out, going so far as to stick his tongue out at the glowering pair. It was true, however, that many mages didn't train their body- something that Makarov had tried to limit as much as he could, but how often the mage's training varied on who you were talking about.

"I see. Your speed seems to be good. You trained yourself somewhat," the shorter said and Natsu was almost positive he just liked the sound of his own voice.

"Nii-chan, he wouldn't be able to avoid _that_ attack." Scratch that- they both liked the sound of their own voice. "What you mages would call a unison raid- our united attack!" Natsu was honestly so ready to be done with the pair; the only pain he felt was his from trying to listen to their useless rambles. The acrobatics they did with the frying pan didn't impress him- maybe the bald one's strength, seeing as his stance never wavered even when the taller man balanced on his strange weapon. "You can be confident for now, brat, but I'll tell you why we're called the _Vanish Brothers_."

"Please don't," the roset drawled lazily.

"We vanish," the shorter one said, catching his partner in the pan. "And we make others vanish, too. Let's go, heaven and earth extinct slaying attack!" He flung the other man into the sky, Natsu's attention instinctively drawn to the airborn man and missing the precise movements of the other as he darted forward. "If you look up to the heavens, we attack from down on the earth!" The metal smashing against his head didn't feel great, and the roset was sure he had a concussion as he tried to get his footing back.

"If you look around on earth, we are up in the heavens!" the other shouted, slamming him into the ground and cracking the tiles. "This is the Vanish Brothers' united attack, heaven and earth extinct slaying attack! No one has ever survived after taking this attac-" His voice faltered when the dragon slayer stood, shaking the rubble out of his hair and grimacing as he touched the bruise on his cheekbone.

"So no one's survived? And?" he asked, bored and annoyed.

"No way!"

"Is he really a mage?"

"Ya ain't gotta be worried 'bout it anymore! Jus' get blown away!" Natsu punctuated his words with a bellowing, "Fire dragon's roar!" and a gust of flames that neither mercenary seemed too worried about.

"Here it comes! Fire magic!" the taller cheered.

"This is it," the one with the frying pan said, throwing his weapon in front of him and watching as the flames began funneling into the pan. "Anti flame magic as well as an ultimate technique! Flame cooking! My pan absorbs all of the flames, multiplies its power, and sends it right back!" True to his words, flames began shooting back towards Natsu.

"A roasted fairy! Perfect for starving wolves!" his partner cheered.

"The stronger your fire is, the more chance that it will ruin your own body. Good bye," the bald one said, watching in horror as the fire was blocked by the fire mage- the one who looked more than a little demonic with flames licking off of his bare skin and a feral grin on his face. "What?"

"The flames don't work? No, even if he's a fire mage, that can't be!" the man with the afro cried.

"Didn't ya hear me?" the dragon slayer hissed, a hand latching on to each of the mercenaries faces. "Jus' get blown away! Fire dragon's wing attack!" Flames spurted from his hands, charring the pair and leaving them to crumble on the floor.

"What is this mage?" the bald one- now with a singed braid two feet shorter- choked out as he landed on the floor.

"Mama, I see fairies," his partner groaned.

"Pull yourself together!" Even so, the pair of them fell unconscious, and Natsu let out an angry huff.

"Now I gotta go find Luce an' Haps," he scoffed, scuffing his feet against the floor. "Where'd they go?" He failed to notice the largest of the maids when her eerie blue eyes snapped open, complete awareness on her features.

* * *

**Sorry about the late(ish) update. I work closing on Sundays and opening on Mondays now, so I'll either be posting about this time on Monday's or late Sunday night, depending on how tired I am. If any of you get your dogs groomed, tip your groomers/bathers well! I know it's none of my business, but I've been working in a grooming department for like three weeks now and I already have a ton of new scars. We really appreciate it!**

**Other than that, I'm looking forward to later arcs! My song of the week is Long Way Down by Robert DeLong, and that part when he says "I'll save you a seat next to me down below" makes me want to write an END/Lucy fic, but also how do people get the ideas for how to write them? **

**Reviews!**

**Bookgirl18, I'm so glad you like this story enough to reread it! I love those stories that you can just read over and over again! **

**Melancholy's Sunshine, I mean, honestly, Natsu probably is a masochist- he literally gets beat up every two seconds and goes back for more as soon as he's up again. Oh Natsu _hates_ Duke Everlue! I honestly loved the beginning of this chapter because pervert!Natsu! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**FairyTailWizard, Thank you so much! Honestly, if I didn't have savwafair as my beta, this story would be a disaster! I'm glad you think I've improved though!**

**Bananarock509, I write so well when I should be asleep, honestly (but just for the ideas portion. My spelling and grammar is a wreck). My life has become work, sleep, and writing when I should be doing one of those things lol. I hated school, and I'm so glad I'm done with it (for the most part. Fuck college, honestly, but how else can you get money?). It hella does suck the joy out of your life, and I used to read and write instead of paying attention in class. Time well spent, really. **

**DreamWeaver2121, thank you so much! My little Oreo baby is a fatass like her mama and she begs me for food but ignores me in general. So does my fish honestly. Animals are wild, bro. But Natsu and Lucy are going to get so much closer in the coming chapters (arcs, really. Slow burn, sadly). **

**Aliciacevbra, Natsu is definitely more jealous and serious in this fic, but he will get his goofiness back very soon. It won't be too drastic, and he'll still have jealous hoarding instincts. **

**Valerioux, I really hated how ditsy they made her seem (Levy, too) because yes, they are bookworms lost in happy endings and all, but they've also tasted bitterness in life and see misery all the time. You're lying if you think they aren't out there trying to make the world a happy ending. Was Everlue and Lucy's interaction good?**

ChaosreigN**, Natsu is going to fall hard, but slowly. It'll still be a while before they get together, but I promise they will and it will break your heart and give you life at the same time. Lucy will be getting her own apartment shortly, but it does take time to find a place to live and get everything squared away.**

SeriousHugsies**, I totally get it, Natsu does seem really grumpy and mature, but it's only because I'm trying to show his abandonment issues in the way I see them developing. It isn't the first time he's been abandoned (first his family when Igneel found him, then Igneel when he found Fairy Tail, then Lisanna when she dies) and he's trying to save himself from more pain by keeping everyone at a distance. It isn't that he cares less for anyone, it's just he doesn't have a bond strong enough to risk that pain for yet. He will be getting a lot goofier very soon, but he will still have a kind of seriousness to him that wasn't in the manga/anime.**

**Savwafair, you're adorable!**

**Yoru no Nx, if Natsu sees them, he won't care _too _much. The cabbage guy was honestly the best character in ATLA, I loved him honestly. He won't be stealing the moon drip mission, but someone else will. Erza will have very mixed feelings about it and demand that Lucy move into her room instead while beating Natsu up but also commending him on his chivalry. **

**Firefly9917, I'm glad you found this story, too! It's amazing to see how many people like my ideas, it makes me feel all warm and shit you guys are the best!**

**Softkittypaw, thanks! Did the check up go well? I hope you heal how you're supposed to and quickly! Happy is a turd. **


	9. Chapter nine

**Chapter nine**

If the sewers hadn't been the least likely place for the Duke to search within the manor, Lucy would have chosen literally anywhere else. Not only was it frighteningly dark- which kind of defeated the purpose of being down here in the first place since she could hardly even read in the dimness- it was also cold as hell. Thankfully, Nyra, who was currently the size of a horse, was kind enough to let her lean back against her side as the dragon curled around her. And yet, even with the help, the celestial spirit mage still had to fight back shivers as she closed the book.

"I would have never imagined that there was a scandal in this town, much less such a secret," Lucy said as she glanced over her shoulder, cupping her hands in front of her face to try and breathe some life back into the frozen sticks her fingers had become. The shadows hanging around the edges of the room played tricks on her spooked mind, and the blonde found herself shivering for an entirely new reason. "There's no way we could burn this book. I _have_ to give it to Kaby-san." She stood, back to the wall, and began tucking the book and her glasses away in her bag.

"Carrying around the enchanted reading glasses," Everlue sneered, snagging her wrists from where he had suddenly appeared from the darkness, just as she dropped them into the depths of her purse. She cursed when her bag fell to the floor; Nyra, startled more than she would like to admit, snarled and leapt to her feet. "You really are a great reader, aren't you?" He yanked painfully on her wrists, dragging them behind her back and somehow staying hidden within the all encompassing darkness. "Now, why don't you send away your spirit and tell me what you found, Lady Lucy? What is the secret of the book?"

Lucy went stalk still, eyes snapping open in fear as she glanced to Nyra- because of _course_ she would be recognized on her first official job in the guild, that was _just_ her luck. She took a deep breath and nodded, before dropping the book and swiftly kicking it to her dragon, who tucked it in the depths of her bag and disappeared with the satchel.

"You're pathetic," the blonde snarled. "You are a true enemy of literature. I wouldn't give you that book if you _killed_ me." He gritted his teeth in anger, head popping out just beside her hip as he squeezed her thin arms more tightly in his rage.

"We'll see about that," he hissed. "You, calling me an enemy of literature, despite the fact that I am a great and _highly educated man_. How laughable!"

"How can a guy who is happy abusing his power count as either great or highly educated? All you do is bring misery to those you find useful!"

His retort was to smash her wrists against the wall as she screamed in pain, his wrists disappearing into the stone and stopping hers from going with them.

"Just shut up and tell me! Was it a treasure map? A hidden fortune? What secret does the book have?" he began shouting, even as she let out a strained groan. "Tell me! Tell me or I'll break your arms!"

"As if I'd ever tell _you_," she gritted out before screaming again when he shoved her forward and yanked her back so suddenly that her head snapped hard against the stones, making her knees quiver.

"Behave yourself, brat! That is my book! I made Kemu Zaleon write it, so the secret of the book is mine, too!" the man was yelling, shaking her, and he didn't seem to care how many times her shoulders and head smacked against the wall. But his rage made him blind to the blue cat flying up beside them.

Happy grabbed at the front of Lucy's shirt and helped the girl rip away from the mad man's grasp. The Duke let out a shriek of pain and let go, making her tumble to the floor in a heap of golden hair and trembling limbs.

"You alright, Lucy?" her small friend and saviour asked, flying out of range from the Duke who merely clutched at his broken elbow. She felt a small smile crawl across her lips.

"Yeah. You got here just in time," Lucy praised, turning just as his wings disappeared and he went plummeting into the sewage below. She cringed away from the splash. Preparing for the inevitable battle, she found her hand already on her keys and seeking out a familiar grip- Cancer the crab.

"Geez, what's up with that cat?" Everlue snarled, cradling his arm to his stomach and sneering at the pair. The cat- only his nose to his ears above the murky water- gurgled out something unintelligible, and Lucy shot him a look before sighing.

"He said, 'I'm Happy'," she translated. "Now, you should get out of there. You're in the sewage." She shifted her attention back to the Duke when he moved, holding her keys out threateningly. "Stay right there. I won't be giving you the book back, but if you're lucky, I won't expose _all_ of your criminal acts to the magic council."

"Celestial spirit magic?" he cackled out, an angry twitch to his eyes. "No matter who you call out, you won't be leaving with that book, Lady Lucy. You'll be lucky to even _leave_." The blonde bit back more tremors, and Happy's fur stood on edge when he realized that Lucy wouldn't have given her name to the man they were robbing, so how did he know it? "So give me that book back now, and we can go see if your partner's dead or not. If he's alive, I'll let you all leave. If not, you'll be going back to-"

"You think I'll let you do _anything_ with me?" she hissed back to him, clutching her key with enough force to imprint the design into her palm. "I will die of magical exhaustion before I submit to you! Open, gate of the crab, Cancer!" The chiming sounded as Everlue dived into the stone. When he reappeared, a tanned man with scissors and a strange hairstyle appearing behind him and Lucy jumped away from his hands. "Your diver magic won't catch me off guard, I already read about it in this awful adventure novel!"

"To think that Kemu Zaleon wrote such a piece of crap, it's outrageous!" the man grumbled angrily. "It's wonderful that I'm the main character, but its content is crap." His pudgy hand suddenly wrapped around her ankle, yanking the blonde down and gripping her legs hard enough to leave little bruises along her skin. Cancer was there in a second, leaving lacerations on the Duke's skin and slicing the sleeves of his shirt and jacket. "You little _bitch_!"

The obscenely rich man shoved her into the metal grate when she struggled back to her feet and spun around with a heavy glare on her face, crying out, "You forced him to write it! How can you still act so high and mighty?"

"High and mighty? I _am_ high and mighty!" he bellowed, and for the first time since finding the blonde in the slaver's ship, Happy was genuinely concerned for her wellbeing. The man rocketed at her, making her skin the side of her leg as she slid out of the way. "It should have been an honor for him to write a book about me!"

"You _threatened_ him to write it!"

Happy had never seen her so enraged, and thought for a small second that she really _did_ fit in with their rambunctious guild.

"So what? It was his own fault for refusing to write it in the first place," the Dukeround man spat out, disappearing into the ground again and making his voice echo throughout the holes he had already created. "I allowed him to write a book with my _high and mighty_ self as the main character, but that idiot rejected the offer." The blonde was whipping around wildly, eyes searching unsuccessfully for where he would pop up next. Cancer shifted closer to her. "That's why I told him that if he wouldn't write it, I'd be forced to withdraw the citizenships of all his relatives."

"Withdraw their citizenship?" Happy gasped, horrified; he had faced true monsters, but nothing of this calibre. "If that happened, they wouldn't have been able to join merchant or workmen guilds. Does he really have that much authority?"

"There are still places, even in Fiore, that run under feudalism," Lucy explained, her voice hard and her eyes shifting from place to place. "Even someone as despicable as Duke Everlue can have absolute authority around here." Once more, his hand wrapped around her leg and yanked her foot into a hole, jamming her heel and leaving her falling backwards. She cried out when her knee twisted painfully, making tears rise to her eyes.

"In the end, he gave in and wrote it, but the fact that he rejected me once got me angry," the Duke said before disappearing once more to avoid the celestial scissors. "So, I made him write it in a solitary cell. I crushed his pride as a distinguished writer! He learned that I _always_ get my way in the end!"

"How could you go that far just to get what you want?" she shouted, limping and leaning on her spirit when her knee threatened to buckle. "Can you even _imagine_ for just a _second_ how he felt, being locked in that solitary cell for _three years_?"

"He realized my greatness!" the Duke cackled.

"No! It was a fight with his own pride each and every day!" the celestial mage screamed, her fury making her magic flare impressively. "If he hadn't written that stupid story for you, his family would have been in danger! Their choices would have been to move or starve! But writing a book about a huge idiot like you… a writer's pride wouldn't allow such a thing to happen!"

"How do you know so many details?" the man asked, finally rising above the surface. "There's no way you could-"

"It's all written in the book!"

"What?" he snarled, face flushing in anger. "I've read that book, but Kemu Zaleon never wrote himself into the story."

"Of course," the blonde seethed, trying to reign in her anger. "On the surface, it's just an awfully disappointing story for the fans, but don't you know about the magic in Kemu Zaleon's blood? He had started off as a mage, after all. He used the last of his power to cast a spell on _Daybreak_."

"Did he make it so that his grudge against me would appear when someone released the magic?" Everlue gasped out, blanching.

"You really are shallow, aren't you?" Lucy hissed. "Yes, the book does have your crimes, your threats, and your abuse as the book was being completed, but that's not at all what Kemu Zaleon wanted to leave behind in this book. The truth is something else entirely, something _you_ could never understand. _That_ is why I will _never_ give this book to you! You don't have any right to possess it!"

"That's it, young lady! You've lost your rights to leaving!" Everlue punctuated his statement by pulling a golden key out of his pocket, one that made icy fear wash down Lucy's back- she was sure that she could handle a couple enemies at a time, even with her busted knee, but she had to worry about Happy as well, which was something she wasn't used to. "Open, gate of the maiden, Virgo!"

"He's using your magic, Lucy," Happy whispered, hovering closer to the blonde as a hazy glamour took over the air in front of Everlue.

"Happy, go find Natsu and bring him back. I won't be able to do much with my knee like this, but I should be able to hold them off for a while," the blonde ordered- her heart panging at the deceit, but unwilling to have either of them get hurt because of her.

"No way-"

"How may I help you, my master?" the largest of the maids, the one with bubblegum pink hair, boomed out. Happy froze- she was no longer burned from Natsu's attack and she seemed impossibly larger than the last time he had seen her. She was going to squash the blonde if given the chance, and the cat quickly decided that Natsu might actually be their best bet.

"Virgo, get that brat!" Everlue screamed, completely ignoring the blue blur that flew past him and up the stairs. "We can't let her leave while she's got that book!"

"I'm afraid you won't have a choice! Cancer!" the blonde demanded, grabbing her whip as her spirit dove towards their pudgy opponent. When Virgo moved to attack, Lucy curled her whip around the woman's neck and gave a sharp tug, gritting her teeth when she was forced to put her weight on her knee. Cancer made quick work of Everlue, diving forward and chopping off his hair when he went to hide underground and slicing the tendons of his knees, leaving him incapacitated. The spirit looked back when the blonde let out a shriek of pain as she threw her weight, collapsing when her leg gave out on her as Virgo soared into the wall and slammed her head, disappearing in a rain of glitter.

* * *

The moment the giant maid disappeared, Natsu knew that Lucy- and Happy, by extension- were in trouble, and that sent his panic spiraling. He had been chasing their scents around for a while- why had Happy deemed it necessary to go through _every_ door he found?- and he had definitely lost track of time at some point, which was just the beginning of his mounting frustrations. It wasn't until he was near the basement that Happy zoomed up to him, panting and rambling about a bunch of things that didn't exactly make sense; something about crabs, gorillas, illegal, and captive, but his words were jumbled together.

"Haps, slow down. What's wrong?" Natsu finally asked, holding the sides of Happy's head.

"Lucy and her crab guy are fighting Everlue and his gorilla maid, but he's been doing a bunch of illegal stuff and Lucy knows it so he's trynna keep her here!" the cat wailed out, claws sinking into the dragon slayer's vest and soaring through the air, back to the sewers. The feline didn't seem to notice the way Natsu's breath caught and even felt his mind going fuzzy when his heart alternated between stopping and racing- the strange stuttering jig it settled on lasting for only a moment. "We have to go help her!" Right as the cat said that, as they were racing through a room, a shrill scream sounded and icy fear swept over the pair.

"Luce!" the roset shouted, flames spurting out of his feet to push them faster down into the sewers. But instead of some horrible scene where Lucy was injured, dying, or missing, they found her leaning heavily against a wall with her bag in one hand while a strange boy with rusty brown hair angrily tied up the Duke. They both looked up when the pair appeared, Leo biting back a snarl when Lucy silently urged him to return back to the celestial realm. "Luce, ya 'lright?"

"I'm fine," she assured him, planting her back against the wall when Natsu came skidding to a stop. Happy hung desperately onto his shoulders, the dragon slayer grabbing the blonde's biceps and eyeing her exposed skin- her ankles and calves were already sporting dark bruises and her left knee looked red, swollen, and painful to stand on, not to mention the blood trailing down her right leg through shallow scrapes and cuts. "I think I twisted my knee or something, but it won't be too difficult to fix up." She winced when she tried to put weight on it. Natsu instantly whined and ducked under her arm to take her weight off her leg.

"Don't stand on it," he chided, worry wrinkling his brows and softening his eyes. "C'mon, let's get outta here."

"We should wait for the authorities," she insisted with a weak smile. "Or, I could wait by myself if you wanted. You could go get some food and clean yourself up. I wouldn't mind-"

"Yeah right, like I'd make ya stay here with this pervert alone," he scoffed. The dragon slayer took a seat on the ground and looked up at her with a wide smile. Lucy shook her head and rolled her eyes, before carefully lowering herself down beside him. He kept shooting her sideways glances, as his fingers itched to trail patterns on her skin and his arms struggled against his instincts to draw her into his side. It was a primitive form of marking his territory; he knew that the urge was so strong because she was hurt after having been alone with some lowlife scum of a man.

"Are you tired? You seem kind of out of it," the blonde murmured in concern, pressing the back of her hand to his forehead. "You can lay down if you want. It shouldn't be too long before the rune knights show up." His mind was singing her praises as he nodded. He quickly threw his legs over her thighs, careful to avoid her injuries, and let his head drop into the crook of her neck. Natsu nearly purred when she gently began to wipe the dirt from his cheekbone.

"What a kind master," a monotonous voice said from across the sewer, speaking low enough that even Natsu couldn't hear her; only Happy, having ducked away from the pair, was aware of her words. He glanced towards the thin, normal sized woman beside him and tensed- her bubblegum hair and baby blue eyes familiar even when the rest of her body wasn't. "It would be an honor if I were to be contracted to her. Now that my master is to be imprisoned, our contract is nullified. Would you give mistress my key?" She peered curiously towards the feline, who nodded in silent shock. "I should be going now. It seems the rune knights have arrived. Until later."

As she disappeared with only a faint glimmer where she once stood, a golden key appeared in Happy's paw. He decided to shove it into his little napsack for now upon eyeing the pair cuddled against the wall- the way the dragon slayer was constricted around the poor blonde made him think better of disturbing them.

* * *

During the beginning of her very extensive training to be a rune knight, Commander Ximena Duss had been taught to recognize each of the magic council's _'worst allies'_ as they had graciously been called. One of those was, of course, Natsu Dragneel. That being said, when she entered the basement to find the same infamously destructive fire mage lying lazily against some random blonde girl, she figured that it was either going to be the worst day of her career or a miraculous blessing. "Natsu Dragneel? So this is tied up with Fairy Tail, is it?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow at the young blonde woman as Natsu let out a rumbling groan.

"We unfortunately got tied up in this while on a job," the girl explained. "I have evidence that Duke Everlue was using illegal practices to further his wealth and powers, and I promise that we will be compliant if you wish to search for your own evidence."

"Why don't you just give us the evidence that you've found?" the commander challenged, crossing her arms across her chest in a daring manner- something the dragon slayer didn't seem to appreciate, considering his low snarl.

"It unfortunately isn't mine to give. I would suggest checking fireplaces, bookshelves, behind paintings, and drawers for hidden compartments or secret rooms. And there should be two unconscious mercenaries upstairs from the Southern Wolves guild." The commander quickly decided that she liked this mage, and shooed off a team and while staying behind to watch over the trio. Happy wandered back over and curled into the gap between Natsu's thigh and Lucy's abdomen.

"Did any of you need medical attention? You seem rather banged up, ma'am."

"Thank you, but I'll be fine," the blonde reassured, rolling her eyes at Natsu's contented breath.

Lucy had a rather large hunch that he had deemed her important to him in some way she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to understand- how else could she possibly explain the anger towards cat callers and his satisfaction when they were in some sort of physical contact? Either way, the idea of getting up at the moment was beyond unappealing.

They continued to sit there for what felt like hours, the dragon slayer dozing against her collarbone while Happy whined, "I want fish," yet again.

"We'll get ya fish later," Natsu slurred against Lucy's skin. The flush that stained the blonde's face made the rune knight commander snigger and the betrayed look shot her way made it a full blown laugh. The two males sent her curious looks. "What's so funny?" The redness on the blonde's face spread to her ears as her blush darkened.

The commander calmed herself and waved off his curiosity. "I just never thought we'd see one of the most destructive legal mages all cuddled up to someone is all," she teased.

"The most destructive legal mage," Natsu mumbled, a bright smile coming to his face at the title. Hell yeah he was a destructive legal mage!

"_That's_ what you focused on?" Lucy scolded, still beet red. She tried to shrug out of his grip, but he merely let out a small cackle while holding onto her more tightly.

"Yer mine now, Luce," he teased with laughter in his voice as he started to tickle her, playful dark eyes burning intensely. "Jus' give in!" Happy let out a small yowl when the pair toppled over, squashing his tail in the process. He went to instead curl around the commander's feet with a pout on his face while Lucy swatted weakly at Natsu's shoulders. The dragon slayer threw his weight back onto her- being cautious of the bruises lining her legs and that twisted looking knee- and pinned her awkwardly to the ground. "Admit it!"

"No way, you weirdo!" she laughed, squirming away from his hands as he continued to tickle her. "Natsu, stop, we're still on a job!"

Despite the laughter that came from the commander as well as the playful pair, Happy realized he was grouchy. It seemed Natsu had officially decided he trusted Lucy enough to let her into their little family.

* * *

**Y'all omg I'm obsessed with _If it makes you happy _by Sheryl Crow right now and I blame my coworker. Also I'm so dead because I had some big ass dogs today and I worked an extra two or three hours without a break and uggh! Dead! Anyways, these author note are getting less and less formal and more like a diary for the day/week, so yay! **

**Y'all are great as always! I love writing for you all!**

**Reviews!**

**Bookgirl18, oh no! I hope your computers doing better now! **

**DemonMisstress, awe thank you so much!**

**Melancholy's Sunshine, Happy has a great intuition, but no detective skills unfortunately, so he's all guesses and no evidence. Natsu's only going to get more overprotective, too, soooo... Natsu won't pick up on her weight sensitivity, but you can bet your ass if Mira hears about it, she's going to be all coddling to Lucy and try reassuring her however she can that she's not heavy (she literally weighs like 100 pounds). **

**19vanelkc, YES PERVERT NATSU! And take a girl on a date first ; ) I'm kidding... of course I'll marry you!**

**OhtaSuzuke, oh, Natsu's pervert side hasn't even come out yet. Be prepared, lovely. It'll be a huge shock to everyone when his pervertedness comes into the light, _trust me_.**

**Littlest1, I mean, I hate to say it, but why else would mages get Canis Minor? Literally, most celestial mages only use them as tools, and if Plue didn't have a power other than basically being a magic consuming pet, they could literally just get a dog or something. The name's meaning actually isn't canon at all, it was just something I saw when trying to find languages to use. I'm glad I'm getting their characters down. One of my biggest fears is messing up my own altered characters. Could you imagine? EXACTLY THOUGH! HOW DID NATSU KNOW BEFORE LUCY DID WHEN SHE LITERALLY GREW UP AROUND RICH PEOPLE, STUDYING THEIR MANNERISMS AND SHIT? **

**WildCatWit, Lucy's past is definitely different than in the canon. I work for a company, Petsmart actually, but I'm back in their salon and oh boy. I had this huge dog today and it kicked my ass. My wrists, legs, everything hurts and I have like 20 bruises all over my thighs. Those dogs man, they take it outta ya. But I'm so glad that you can relate to me on that! That's so cool!**

**Valerioux, honestly, I can't name one person who would sit down and cry if someone called them ugly. I don't get why the original Lucy decided that was her game plan, but I just can't imagine it at all. Lucy's actually going to learn about being a part of Natsu's hoard during the Phantom Lord arc, in a very very unpleasant way, so that's my only warning, really. It's not gonna be pretty. **

SoftKittyPaw**, tell me how everything looks! I'm really concerned because I know healing a little wrong can mess you up big time (I have calcium deposits in my ankle from a fracture that pinch of my nerves if I'm on my feet too much and it sucks cause that's a very minor mess up as far as healing wrong goes). I hope she beat him up enough! **

**TheJSmooth, there are going to be a ton of cliffhangers, but hopefully the suspense will make it better. That's really all I got going for me at this point lol.**

**DreamWeaver2121, I feel it so much! I literally want to make them make out already, but ooh I stupidly decided to make it a slowburn : (**

**Dallace, hey! I'm so glad that you enjoy it! This story will progress similarly as far as Lucy's new abilities, because those are all triggered by important events, but she will get minor spells and more magic capacity sooner than in the canon. **

**Rere97Maui, yay, I'm glad you're caught up! And I don't know if I'm going to stick with the whole hair color/key color idea, but it was just something I noticed. It might be a little difficult to support while making other spirits and stuff, but I'll definitely see if it fits. **

**Fairy.**** Rains****, I loved his reaction, too! I knew someone would appreciate it as much as I did because damn did I have to channel my inner perverted man for that scene! I have some plans for making Natsu live up his ninja phase later, so it won't be so soon, but it'll still be in the story. I promise! And I think I like this version better, too. Also, my computer apparently hates your username, so if there's ever a blank in the reviews, it's probably you. Sorry! I try to fix it all the time!**

**Starstruck-MJ, I love that you love it! **

**Kisa7221, my brain's been playing with this idea for the better part of two or three years, honestly. I just got it down though. To answer your questions, Lucy is not an actual princess, but she does have a connection to royalty that will be explained later. Natsu doesn't have a cave, per se, but he does have a shed or something by his house. I just haven't decided on where I want it yet, but there is a ton of gold somewhere just outside of Magnolia. THE LAST BIT WAS SUCH AN UNINTENTIONAL NOD TO END I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE FOR A FAT SECOND AH!**


	10. Chapter ten

**Chapter ten**

"Duke Everlue forced Kemu Zaleon to write this book," Lucy told her two partners who were following her softly. They had just begun the rather short trek from the Duke's manor to their client's own mansion. "It's an adventure novel with the Duke as the main character, but it has terrible grammar and an awful plot. That's how I knew there was a secret; I'd never believe that Kemu Zaleon wrote this. Not only is he a famous author, he's a rune mage, so his word choice is very important." Natsu was lost. He hoped she didn't expect him to follow along with her explanation, because his knowledge on rune mages was limited to the single one he actually knew. Still, he gave her a slow and confused nod as the manor they were looking for came into view.

The trio were ushered in through the servants' door and they quickly found their clients, Mr. and Mrs. Melon, in the same living area as last time. The moment she spotted their clients, the celestial mage shoved _Daybreak_ towards him.

"What are you doing?" Mr. Melon stuttered as he flinched away. Quickly trying to compose himself, he went on to say, "If I remember correctly, I asked you to destroy the book."

"A book isn't too difficult to destroy," the blonde said almost teasingly, a devious gleam in her eye. "Surely you can do that yourself, Kaby-san." He grabbed the book with unnecessary force, sending her hands flying, and she had to focus on squaring her shoulders to hold her tongue. The dragon slayer wasn't quite as silent in his distaste, growling quietly. Still, if Lucy was going to learn _why_ he hated such a sweet book, she needed to anger him.

"Then I'll incinerate it myself!" the older man snarled at her, earning another faint growl from the dragon slayer flanking her. "I don't even want to _look_ at it!"

"I understand why you cannot tolerate this book," the blonde said nonchalantly. "It's to protect your father's pride, isn't it?" The man froze at her words and faced away from the mages as he trembled slightly. When he looked back towards her, her face was completely impassive save a single quirked eyebrow. "You're the son of Kemu Zaleon, are you not?" When Happy screeched in shock- who yelled _"__papa"_ when someone else's father was revealed?- Kaby lowered his head in shame.

"How do you know?" he whispered, and Lucy gritted her teeth to keep from lashing out at him. Didn't he know how lucky he was to have a father that loved him? She would do anything to have father say these things to her and here he was just trying to throw this amazing gift away.

"Have you ever read the book?" she asked instead. Her silvery voice was strained, but the man before her didn't linger on that fact.

"No. I've heard of it from my father, but I never read it myself," Kaby admitted. His resolve strengthened once more and his knuckles turned white as he gripped _Daybreak_ more urgently. "But it'd be a waste of time to read it. My father told me that this book is a piece of trash."

"That's why you're burning it," the blonde stated, and he nodded despite the fact they all already knew it was true.

"But your dad wrote that book!" Happy cried in horror.

"Burnin' it jus' 'cause it ain't a good book? What the hell 're ya thinkin'?" Natsu snarled as he tried lunging forward to snatch the book back- Lucy held him back, of course, but with some difficulty.

"Natsu, he was just doing it to protect his father's pride!" she chided, grunting when her feet slipped forward.

"You don't understand. My father was _ashamed_ to have written _Daybreak_," the man insisted desperately. "Thirty one years ago, my father came home after being gone for three years, and all he said was that he was _finally_ home. He ignored me when I asked where he was as he went to his tool chest. He tied a rope on his arm and told me he was done for, that he was going to quit being a writer. The last thing he said before he cut his own arm off was that he would never write a book again. I was _so_ _mad_. He abandoned me and the first thing he did when he came home was to be so incredibly selfish! I couldn't help it- I yelled at him. I told him horrible things while he was in the hospital, and all he said was the pay was good and it was the worst piece of trash. I said such awful things to him, and he committed suicide right after I left. I'd hated him ever since he left, even after he died. I hated him for leaving me like that, for _betraying me_ like that. I hated him even more for being too cowardly to face the mess he made of his own life. As time passed, though, I came to regret the things I said to him. Maybe he'd still be here if I hadn't said such horrible things to him. To make amends, I wanted to eliminate his greatest regret from this world so he can still have his pride as a writer to the rest of the world." He was crying as he lit the match, and the blonde merely shook her head with a knowing smile on her lips.

"You're wrong," she said softly. "That book isn't his greatest regret. It's a gift he couldn't give in his lifetime." She reached past the flame and pressed the pads of her fingers to the title- specific letters, Natsu realized a moment later. The moment she lifted her hand again, the golden cover began to glow and the book flipped open, pages flaring wildly and letters lifting themselves from the paper to soar around the room.

"What is this?" Kaby shouted. "The letters are floating!"

"Zekua Melon, under the alias of Kemu Zaleon, casted a spell onto this book," Lucy told him, voice cold and serious. The larger letters that made up the title began dropping back into place as the words flooded back into the book, starting with _D E A_. "Every day for the three years he was in captivity, Zekua wrote letters to his beloved son, telling him of the torture he endured, of how knowing he would one day return home to his family kept him going." She took a pause, glancing once more towards the book as _R K_ reappeared next. "He wrote about Duke Everlue's crimes, the illegal empire he sat on top of and the dirty money that made up his wealth. After three years, when he had completed his heartfelt masterpiece, he casted a spell that shuffled the letters in the book, including the content within- the characters, the plot, _everything_." Her's features became much softer as her fingers passed over a flying word- _"__return"_, it read- and she smiled at the story she had skimmed through as _A B Y _landed once more on the cover. "He didn't quit being a writer because he wrote the worst book in existence- it was because he finished his pride and joy, and probably the _best_ book in existence." She expertly caught the book in her hand when it snapped shut once more, the title now reading _Dear Kaby_. "_This_ is what Kemu Zaleon truly wanted to leave behind." She handed it over once more, and Kaby sobbed as he snatched it greedily.

"Dad," he cried, scanning the new words with blurred vision. "I never really understood him."

"If you understand how a writer's mind works, you'll lose the pleasure of reading a book," she countered cryptically.

"Thank you so much," he said earnestly, rubbing at his tears. "You're right; I can't burn this book."

"Then we'll be taking our leave." The blonde moved back and grabbed Natsu's arm. "You had asked us to destroy the book, which we failed to do. Keep the reward and go home, you guys."

* * *

"Okay, hang on a second," Natsu tried yet again, still as confused as when they left. "Ya knew Kemu Zaleon was Zekua Melon 'cause…"

"He was a runic mage I studied," Lucy explained once more. "His specialty was shifting his characters to create several different meanings that would remain hidden."

"An' that's how ya knew ta decode the book. Got it. But ya knew Kaby was his son 'cause…" he prompted once more.

"They shared the same last name, and Kaby was an exact replica of one of Kemu's characters, specifically from his older books. It's pretty typical for starting authors to base characters on loved ones." She seemed unbothered by the long explanation. Happy was annoyed that he was stuck carrying Natsu's heavy backpack; it was that or carry Lucy- thanks to her hurt knee- and Natsu had taken it upon himself to hold her. "Besides, who else would want to destroy such an unknown book?"

"Well, how did you know they didn't live there?" Happy suddenly asked, tilting his head cutely. "Do you secretly have Natsu's nose?"

"That's easy," she scoffed. "They don't seem rich." Lucy cringed away from her own words, mentally apologizing for how rude it sounded before rephrasing, "I mean, they don't have the same mannerisms as rich people. Like Duke Everlue! Even when I told him that there was no treasure map and no riches within the book, he was so focused on himself that he couldn't see what I was telling him. If they were really _that_ wealthy, wouldn't they have been far more rude?" She ignored the bewildered looks shot her way as she continued, "Not to mention, they called the servant's door the back door, their clothes were made of poor quality material, and they slouched far too much. Young money is far more concerned with seeming rich than old money. There's no way they would have acted like that if they were actually wealthy."

"How d'ya know that?" the dragon slayer pressed. It took Lucy a moment to come up with an answer, lips sealed until she was sure she wouldn't regret speaking.

"I've had a lot of run ins with wealthy people in the past," she said slowly. "It's not too difficult to see their similarities."

"That makes sense," Happy sniggered behind his hand, looking back at the pair. "No wonder you're so weird." Inflating her cheeks in rage, the blonde tried to ease herself out of Natsu's grasp only for a growl to sound from his chest.

"Not 'til we're on the train," he chided softly, unaware that the blonde was gaping dumbly at the back of his head.

"Did you just _growl_ at me?" she squeaked, shocked stiff.

"Time for plan R, Natsu," the cat rushed out. "Run!"

"He's carrying me! What good would that do?"

* * *

"No," Lucy said, her voice hard with finality. She was standing shakily on a tightly bandaged knee with a crutch, that had _magically_ come from her tiny backpack, propped under her arm. "Listen, I really appreciate the offer, but I'm fine walking. If you and Happy want to take the train back, you're free to do so. I'll just walk alone." Happy raised his eyebrows- or, he would have if he _had_ any eyebrows- and wondered just what the celestial mage's deal was with not accepting their offer to take the train. She was like a shadow that passed by silently and left no traces to be followed, but she also had that spark that made Fairy Tail shine- the two features rarely collided.

"No way I'mma let ya walk alone. Ya can _barely walk_, Luce," Natsu chided, his irritation starting to peek through his words. "Just lemme buy ya a damn ticket. Ya bought the tickets comin' here."

"Not even a week ago, I basically had to beg you to ride a train to Magnolia," she laughed, rolling her eyes playfully. She was hoping she could distract him, considering she no longer had a reward to live off of and she _refused_ to act as a charity case when she could work on her own. "What's changed?"

Natsu paused for a second- what _had_ changed? Sure, he wanted her to be comfortable- it was the same reason he kept the same lumpy pillow on his hammock while buying fresh pillows to cushion his valuable hoard- but surely that couldn't be everything. Maybe it was because his instincts had never screamed so loudly to keep someone before, and he didn't know how to act because of it?

Instead of explaining that, though, the dragon slayer shrugged and grumbled, "Does it really matter?"

"Of course it matters," she breathed shakily. Her entire demeanor changed in a second, her shoulders losing that confident tenseness and her torso curling in on itself. Not only was she too proud to accept his charity, but she also refused to make the poor slayer sit through that horrible nausea again. Lucy was better than her father, better than the suitors who wanted her title, better than the scheming upper class she had run from- she would _never_ trade someone else's comfort purely for her own. "I just know that you get motion sickness, and I don't want you to make yourself sick for no reason."

"Don't say it like _that_!" Natsu whined, his own panic from upsetting his hoard making Happy face plant directly into the ground. "I jus' don't want ya ta hurt yer knee more. 'Sides, it's night. We can sleep on the train."

The cat hissed, annoyance surging when he saw Lucy move to argue. "Just get on the train."

* * *

There was something so unappealing about being homeless- and for all intents and purposes, she was. The first thing Lucy had come to realize _very_ quickly into her travels, was that having no safe place- nowhere to go for a shower, no sure place to sleep, and no guaranteed shelter or food was the worst situation to be in. She was definitely running low on money, something that became frighteningly apparent with every spare jewel she used, and she still hadn't even _begun_ her house hunt. Not to mention, she would probably sell her soul for a nice meal and a comfortable bed.

"We're almost at the guild," Natsu soothed when she stumbled over a rock, though he walked significantly closer afterwards. "We jus' gotta tell Mira we finished the job, an' we can go home."

"Don't rush on my account," the celestial mage chided. "It's barely midday. You guys should hang out there and I'll see if I can stay with Mira or Levy tonight. You've been stuck with me for a while now."

"We ain't _stuck with ya_," the roset scolded. "Ya can stay 'least 'til yer leg heals. _Then_, we can go house huntin'."

"Don't worry about it," she argued gently. "I got a map of Magnolia, so I can most likely find my way to the real estate agency. Besides, it probably won't be anything too exciting." Lucy saw the defiance on his face, the resolve that lit up his dark eyes, and rolled her eyes with a laugh. "Okay, okay, we'll see how it goes. I can't promise waiting too long, though. I need to find somewhere to stay."

She didn't seem to hear Natsu grumble, "Ya can stay with us," under his breath.

* * *

Once they finally managed to stumble back into the guild hall, the blonde practically collapsed onto a barstool between Levy and Cana.

Lucy was exhausted- both Natsu and Happy could tell due to her fluttering eyelids- and the dragon slayer pressed his chest against her back when she began to lean too far back. Jumping slightly, she looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Thanks, Natsu." Before he could answer- something the dragon slayer was grateful for, since he obviously would have been a bumbling idiot when faced with that radiant smile- his favorite icy rival knocked shoulders with him.

"Don't walk so close!" Natsu yelled, using the excuse to hide his blush, and lunged at where Gray was calmly passing by. It wasn't long before they had started yet another guild wide brawl.

Lucy swayed slightly from losing the support, before hunching over the bar more to keep herself steady. "Honestly, it's almost like he's always looking for a fight," she mumbled against her straw and took a long sip of her milkshake.

"And the gods know better than to upset him," Levy agreed with a cheerful smile. "How was that _Daybreak_ job? What are you going to do with the reward?"

"There was no reward," the blonde shrugged, a solemn expression coming on her features. "The clients were actually using a mansion from their friend's real estate agency to seem more wealthy than they were, and we didn't end up burning the book anyways. It wouldn't have been fair to take two million jewel from them."

"How sweet," Cana cooed sarcastically from where she was listening in, though the wide grin on her face was genuine.

"You're kidding!" Levy screeched over the brunette. "They asked you to _burn_ the _book_?"

"I _know_! And it was an unpublished _Kemu Zaleon _book, probably his masterpiece," Lucy said with a dreamy sigh. Levy fainted in horror- but, as per usual, Droy and Jet were hovering around enough to catch her before she hit the floor. "Oh, if I could _write_ like that man."

"Who cares 'bout some ol' guy?" Natsu asked with Gray still caught in a headlock.

"You'd better straighten this guild back out Natsu," Loke teased, throwing his arms around both Lucy and Cana. "Erza's due back today. While you do that, though, I shall keep your _enchanting_ partner company."

"You mean Titania Erza Scarlet, the strongest woman of Fairy Tail?" the blonde gasped, spinning around with pure joy on her face. "I'm so excited! I've admired her for years, but I can never find much about her much in Sorcerer Weekly. What kind of person is she?"

"Scary," Happy mumbled around his fish.

"Wild animal?" Gray suggested.

"Beast," Natsu countered.

"More like an evil demon," Loke said with a shiver.

"I heard she once knocked down a mountain with a single kick," Gray tacked on.

"Don't be stupid, Gray," Happy chided. "She knocked down _two_ mountains with a single kick." If Mirajane and Levy weren't laughing over her shoulder, Lucy _might_ have believed the wild story. Instead, she giggled and shook her head, turning her attention back to the occupants of the bar.

"We should talk about our kicking techniques, then." The blonde smirked playfully, purposefully ignoring the cringing and impromptu funeral service the men were planning in the center of the guild.

* * *

**I'm so so so sorry that this chapter is late, first and foremost. I went camping over the weekend (and got burned to hell and back) and honestly couldn't get around to finishing it. Also, happy holidays and happy 420 to any who celebrate! Did anyone go to Coachella? No major updates this week, just a mound of apologies to my poor beta. **

**Reviews!**

**DemonMisstress, all the new chapters!**

**Melancholy's Sunshine, oh Lucy's definitely the saint of Fairy Tail. I'm so excited for furious destruction when Lucy gets kidnapped though, I really am. It's gonna be great! Honestly, the magic council should pardon everything she wants for keeping Natsu otherwise occupied. **

**ProbablyEpsilon, I never even thought about Natsu trying to curl around her like a dragon honestly, but I want to put that somewhere now. Like he sees Nyra do it and all of a sudden he's spooning her awkwardly and she's just like "... bro wtf?" Thanks!**

**TheJSmooth, the spirit she called out was actually Leo Minor, not Leo/Loke. Everyone will get to know him better once it's revealed that Loke's a celestial spirit, but until then, just wonder who the little kid is like the rest of her team! And Natsu has plenty other faces to pound in for hurting Lucy. That will all come shortly (very shortly. Give it like three or four chapters.)**

**19vanelkc, soon dear, soon. AND WE MISSED 4/20! IF WE HAD BEEN MARRIED ON 4/20, OUR 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY WOULD HAVE BEEN 4/20/69! NOW WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR NEXT YEAR, BUT IT WON'T BE AS COOL!**

**Littlest1, thank you, lovely! Honestly, Lucy's such a badass, but she always gets swept under the rug because she let's her more headstrong teammates take the lead. If she literally fought on her own power, the world would be amazed! (Tartaros arc, anyone?) Happy has so much perceptive potential, but- again- it's swept under the rug because "he's a cat". So are Carla (Charle? How do you guys spell it?) and Pantherlily, but they're badass characters! Thank you!  
**

**Valerioux, Lucy is actually going to be pretty oblivious when it comes to the male population, especially the ones trying to befriend her. Most of their pining is going to be Natsu like "I'm not good enough" and Lucy being all "wow guy friends are weird? Do they really just do this with anyone?" Oh, I kind of wish I never got the idea for how she'll find out about hoards, but since I have it, I gotta use it. There's really no other way for this story to go. That was a new spirit, Leo Minor. **

**NaluGrey, I'll try not to abandon it! I really like it, too!**

**Yoru no Nx, she'll take care of it pretty soon. A lot of the Fairy Tail mages don't really see the healers (excluding Porlyusica, of course) so when they get the more healing orientated mages (Levy's booksmarts gave her some healing knowledge, Mirajane's independence, Lucy's independence, and Wendy's primary magic) they rely on them. Levy and Lucy are definitely going to have some bonding chapters, and Erza's strict behavior is definitely going to come in very soon. **

**SoftKittyPaw, the big dog wasn't even fluffy. It really doesn't bother me much anymore, I've had it for years already so I kind of block it out, but my ankles and knees give out on me sometimes as a reminder. Those dogs really do bang you up, huh? You honestly wouldn't think so as a dog owner (I have like maybe three scars from my two dogs) but when you work with other people's dogs, you really get to see how wild they are. **

**DreamWeaver2121, Never! You're not allowed to die!**

**ChaosreigN, Happy's little jealous explosion still has a little while longer to brew, but it's coming pretty quickly. Thank you, darling!**

**Rere97Maui, honestly, cuddly Natsu gives me life! Oh yeah, Happy _really_ doesn't like that he has to share Natsu's attention. **

**WildCatWit, Happy is indeed very jealous that Natsu and Lucy have a bond. I have never ever even heard of intergroom, but if you tell me more about it, I'll totally plan to go to the one in September! I actually just started maybe a month ago, so I'm still really new (and a bather, but ignore that part). Those force driers really ruin your wrists. Like I have to switch hands ever like two seconds otherwise my hands like spasm. Ugh, it's such hard work, but those customers that really appreciate it (and the cute freakin' doggies!) make it worth it!**

**Guest, Yeah!**

**Fairy. Rains, I think I will include original arcs, probably from the last story's suggestions for jobs honestly. I do have a special arc planned, but that comes _waaay _later. Phantom has and will always be one of my favorites, too, and the spin I'm going to put on it is going to be a _little _horrible, but it will also make you appreciate the characters that much more! (Hopefully). **

**Starstruck-MJ****, the nalu is life! I always thought it was weird that he just had the key out of nowhere. Like if Virgo really wanted to find someone, she could have just gone to Lucy herself, or even a different Fairy Tail mage. Why Happy? That's why! **

**Firefly9917****, thank you! I really appreciate it!**


	11. Chapter eleven

**Chapter eleven**

A low groan pulled Loke's attention away from the plans for Fairy Tail's mass grave, his eyes flying to where Lucy was pulling herself slowly off of her bar stool. "I guess I should find a new job since we didn't get the reward last time," she sighed. The redhead took a moment to appreciate her short, plaid skirt; the way it swayed so tantalizingly close to where he _knew_ her underwear was made him lick his lips. A warning snarl broke through the tense air that had engulfed a small group of similarly focused male mages, all eyes snapping to Natsu- who, admittedly, couldn't tear his own eyes away from her ass, but who was Loke to point that out?

"You should try out a job with Team Shadowgear," Levy offered as she bounded up as well. Her movements attracted the attention once more- did _all_ of their female mages have great butts, or was it just his lucky day?- and it was only when his eyes moved back to the blonde's butt that icy fear washed over Loke. And this time, it wasn't because of Natsu's much more ferocious snarl- even Gray kept his mouth shut and focused on the table at the sound- though that certainly did make his heart stutter slightly.

"Gate keys," he choked out, staring at the glittering metal hanging against Lucy's hip. "I'm sorry, my dear, but it was not fated for us to be together. And I had such plans for the two of us, on our team of love. Unfortunately, I must say _adieu_." Without another word- and certainly no explanation for his odd behavior- Loke bolted out of the guildhall. He left a long silence in his wake, though when male eyes wandered back towards the girl he was hoarding, Natsu's snarling became audible again.

"Well, that was strange. Anyways, if you find anything that interests you, let me know. Since Master's not here right now, I'm the only one who can approve jobs," Mirajane sang sweetly. At the questioning look the blonde shot her, the barmaid giggled a little to herself. "Sorry, Lucy, I keep forgetting that you aren't used to how guilds are run. The Master has to attend the regular meeting, so he'll be out for a while."

"The regular meetings where guild masters from different provinces come to report about their guilds. It's different from the council meetings, but they also have a lot in common," Levy stage whispered to Lucy. "It's confusing at first."

"That's true. I guess it can be a bit confusing," Mira agreed. "Reedus, may I borrow your light pen, please?" The portly man at the bar gave a curt answer- or maybe just a sound of consent?- before tossing a small pen to the snowy haired mage. "It took me a couple years to get the organizational chart of the magic world down, and only because it's really only enforced amongst guilds." Mirajane hummed a tune under her breath as her curly writing lit up the air in a beautiful canary yellow.

"Is no one concerned about Loke?" the celestial mage asked weakly; the _entire_ guild had returned to normal, and she hadn't seen a single person chase after him. "Or does he usually just run away from magic items?"

"He's Loke," Cana slurred in explanation. "He does weird shit all the time. Best ta ignore 'im."

"There," Mira chirped when she finished her extensive chart. "Up here, we have the magic council, or the ten council members who have connections to the royal family and their government. They hold the highest position in the magic world and exist to protect the order. They also try mages who commit crimes in the guilds. Guild masters are right below them. Their job is to smooth out communication between the guilds in every province and to notify their guild members about council decisions. It's a very difficult job."

"I had no idea that guilds were so connected to one another," the blonde breathed in awe.

"It's important to have this connection between guilds," the barmaid told her seriously. "If they're neglected, like if a guild master doesn't warn their guild on new laws or new dark guilds, it's very easy for the guilds to become dark guilds. Dark guilds are magic guilds that don't follow the council's orders."

"They'll come get Natsu on their side if ya don't keep a close eye on him," the drunk brunette purred, falling heavily against Lucy and pushing her against the bar. "Keep our boy outta trouble, Boobies."

"Keep him out of trouble? We teamed up for a single job, Cana," the celestial mage argued weakly, swatting at the hands trying to grope her breasts. "And my name's Lucy."

"Cana, off!" the dragon slayer shouted, rushing over and prying the drunk from his new partner. "Her knee's all twisted. And Levy, stop offerin' ta take her on a job. She knows she's gotta rest 'til her leg's better." He pushed the blonde back onto her stool, ignoring the shocked expressions on literally _everyone's_ face. He couldn't as easily ignore Mirajane's excited squeak- or maybe that was just what happened when a person didn't breathe for so long- nor the wolf whistles behind him. "What?"

"That was the _cutest_ thing I've _ever_ seen in my entire _life_!" Mira shrieked, crushing Happy against her chest. How she got the cat, Natsu had no clue, and he felt a wave of pity for his little buddy.

"I need money, Natsu. You know that. My knee will be fine soon. I just have to get the money to make a healing salve," Lucy said, ignoring the guild like it was second nature. "And Levy can take me on as many jobs as she wants, the same as everyone else."

"But Luce," the roset whined pitifully. "We're a _team_. We gotta work _together_." She rolled her eyes and gave his shoulder a push, laughing when he dropped his chin onto her shoulder instead.

"You don't have to force yourself to team up with anyone," Gray called from the nearest table with a cigarette hanging expertly between his lips. "Especially not that flaming moron. I heard you did a great job. I bet plenty of people will be coming to offer you teams." He flicked the ash onto the ground, standing smoothly and smiling at her. "You defeated two mercenaries from the Southern Wolves guild, a gorilla lady, and some fat pervert all while injured, right?"

"That's only partially true. Natsu defeated the two mercenaries," she corrected, ignoring when the two butted heads over the dragon slayer defeating enemies; they really could fight about literally _anything_.

"You mean Natsu left you alone, injured, with a gorilla lady and a pervert because he wanted to test his strength against mercenaries?" Mirajane seethed in a sugary tone sweet enough to leave cavities in Lucy's mouth.

"No, that's not true at all," the blonde swiftly corrected. "He started fighting the mercenaries and I lured the Duke away. I got hurt fighting him and a massive celestial spirit."

"Ya _lured_ that rapist away on purpose, Luce?" the roset cried, earning a fist to his cheek. "Why'd ya do that? I coulda beat 'em all!"

"Of course, but I wanted to pull my weight. Every other fight, you do most of the work."

"That's not even true! You just get stuck with all the perverts," Happy called from where he was hanging out above them. "Bora, the Vulkin, Duke Eagerpoo, Loke. You really have the worst luck."

"What does Loke have to do with any of this?" she mumbled, eyebrows pinched.

"Ya really do got the worst luck!" Natsu yelled as if just realizing it. "Holy shit, yer gonna get kidnapped by some sex fiend!"

"Over my dead body!" Mirajane hissed as a dark aura flared around her.

"Guys," Lucy squeaked, looking between the two angered mages. "I'm literally sitting in the middle of the guild hall. I'll be alright."

"Yeah, ya flamin' piece of shit, chill out," the raven haired smoker taunted.

"What'd ya say ta me, ya perverted pain in the ass?" Natsu snarled darkly. They were going at it again, fists flying, which left Lucy to calm Mirajane down alone- a feat that was, admittedly, not _too_ difficult.

Just then the guild doors flew open with a bang. "Natsu, Gray!" Loke called, panting and hesitant to set foot inside while warily eyeing the blonde. "Erza's back!" The guild doors crashed open once more, the sound thundering in the unnatural silence that had swept over the guild, but the beautiful newcomer didn't seem to notice. "I'm gonna go home," Loke mouthed, edging around her line of sight and bolting the first chance he got.

"I'm back," the woman said with a thick and clear fruity voice. She dropped a twisted horn nearly four times her height and five times her width onto the floor with ease, despite wearing a full torso of armor. "Is Master present at the moment?" Her mocha eyes immediately sought out Mirajane. The barmaid grinned widely and bounced on her toes at the sight of her best friend.

"Welcome back!" she cheered out. "Master's attending the regular meeting." A troubled look crossed the stranger's face, her fingers brushing vibrant scarlet hair out of her face.

"I see," she mumbled, a downcast expression falling over her face. Despite that, her eyes were calculating, working quickly to find a solution to something no one was privileged to know.

"Erza-san, what is that humongous thing?" an ebony haired man croaked out weakly, shrinking back into his poncho when her attention was focused solely on him.

"This?" she asked flippantly. "The local townspeople decorated the horn of the demon I subdued. It was so pretty that I brought it back as a souvenir. Will that be a problem, Alzack?"

"No, not at all!" the cowboy themed man stuttered.

"The horn of the demon she subdued," a sand mage breathed in awe.

"Anyways, I heard that you have all been causing trouble again," Erza started sternly, a collective cringe falling throughout the room. "Even if Master forgives you, I will not. Cana, that is an inappropriate drinking position." The hickory haired card mage slowly lowered the barrel from her face, crossing her legs in an attempt to look more proper. "Vijeeter, if you are going to dance, do it outside. Wakaba and Gray, you have both been leaving cigarette butts all over the floor. Nab, you are stopping everyone else from choosing jobs. Pick one and stop lingering by the request board." She let out a heavy sigh, shaking her long hair out with a single hand. "You guys give me so much trouble. Still, I shall let it slide for today."

"She's already said so much, though," Droy whispered shakily from the bar.

"Is she a disciplinary enforcer or something?" Lucy asked, tilting her head and looking back to Mirajane, who giggled and shook her head.

"She's Erza," the small group of people around her said.

"By the way, are Natsu and Gray here?" Erza asked, several people pointing or stepping away from the pair who were quivering with arms wrapped around each other's shoulders.

"Hey Erza," Natsu started, his voice shaking more than his body.

"We're being good to each other as always," Gray piped up, his voice even shakier, if that was even possible.

"Best friends!" the dragon slayer finished, a tense silence following.

"I see," Erza drawled out, obviously not believing it, and the quirk to her lips made Lucy gape- she _knew_ what she was doing to them! "Best friends do fight every once in a while, but I would much rather see you two being good to each other all the time."

"I've never seen Natsu act like this," the blonde told Mirajane, looking a little concerned.

"Both Natsu and Gray are scared of Erza," the snowy haired model giggled lightly. "Natsu always tried to pick fights with the S-class mages before he was promoted, and he always lost to Erza. Gray got found walking around naked and she beat him up. Loke ran away because he tried hitting on Erza and nearly got himself killed." Oblivious to the fear her story inspired, Mirajane walked away to grab a slice of strawberry cake.

"It makes me happy that the both of you are doing great," the scarlet haired woman said, hesitance staining her words. "I actually have a favor to ask the both of you." As the serious atmosphere came down on them, Natsu and Gray broke their half hug and stepped a few steps away from each other. "I heard some troubling things at work, and I would normally consult Master about this, but I regard this matter as urgent, so I need your help. You'll come with me, right?"

The two men stared at her. "What."

"What's going on?" Cana hissed towards the half drunk men around her.

"This is the first time I've ever seen Erza teaming up with someone else," Levy told Lucy excitedly, hanging onto her arm.

"She literally just defeated a huge demon, too," Jet tacked on. "I wonder what it could be."

"We leave tomorrow. Prepare yourselves. I shall explain the details on the way," the redhead said, walking out of the guild without another word.

"Hang on!" Gray shouted.

"I never said I'd come!" Natsu added.

"Erza, Natsu, and Gray," Mirajane trilled excitedly, hanging onto Lucy's other arm. "I never could have imagined it, but this could very well be the strongest team in Fairy Tail's history!"

* * *

It had been nearly two hours since Erza had left, and no one could stop talking about her demand to team up with Natsu and Gray, especially not the pair of rivals. "Impossible," Gray was mumbling, looking sick and chewing on a burned out cigarette. "It's annoying enough to be with him, and now I gotta be with Erza, too?"

"This team's _impossible_," Natsu snarled. "'Sides, I don't wanna go."

"Don't be foolish," Lucy soothed. She tried standing up, but when the dragon slayer immediately pushed her back into her seat, she scowled at him. "Your guildmate asked you for help. You _have_ to help her. I'll just go on a job with Levy, and I can probably find somewhere to stay before you're back!"

"Now I definitely ain't goin'," he grumbled. "We're a _team_, Luce. We've been over it already: if ya go, I go." He regretted his words the moment he saw the devious look in her eye and cringed away from her.

"Oh? So, if _I_ decide to help Erza, then you'll come, too?" she inquired slowly. He would have tried to lie, to tell her that Erza _definitely_ wouldn't want her to go or say that she could go if she wanted, that he didn't care either way, but he knew she would end up going along no matter what excuse he gave.

"Damn it, Luce!" he shouted and slammed his head down on the bar. "It's probably gonna be dangerous."

"I've faced worse," she countered confidently, sitting a little straighter with a smile like the cat who got the cream. "That being said, I should head to the market and get some stuff. I have to fix this leg before tomorrow." She hopped up, easily moving despite her wrapped up knee, and Natsu was a step behind her, hands fluttering uselessly when she shot him a sour look. "I swear by the stars, if you make me sit down again, I'll get a motel room."

"But yer _hurt_, Luce!" he argued, trailing a step behind her. "Jus' tell me what ya need and I'll bring it back."

"Natsu, just go _with_ Lucy," Mirajane sweetly suggested, though there was a sharp edge to her voice that made the hairs on the back of everyone's neck stand up. "You shouldn't pester her to sit around all day, especially since you wouldn't follow this advice if _you_ were injured."

"You're free to come with me," the blonde agreed. "You have to understand, Natsu, I've lived through worse than a little twisted knee. This is _nothing_ like last year, nor the year before. I just need to make the salve and I'll be fine, honestly."

"What happened last year?" Levy asked, leaning forward eagerly. A brief silence settled between the group, a haunted look passing over Lucy's face for a single moment before it was gone.

"I almost got killed by a dark mage in Stella," she said with a distant look in her eye. "The year before that, I had a group of Perd scientists try to nullify my magic origin. Like I said, _this_ is nothing." She didn't give the listeners a moment to regather their thoughts before the blonde walked out of the guildhall, her faithful dragon slayer scurrying after her the second he registered that she was walking. Mirajane turned away to hide her tears while Cana and Levy just gaped.

"Holy shit," Cana choked out.

* * *

Lucy was positive that Natsu was confused by her basket; anyone who had ever accompanied her to the market was at some point. She didn't completely blame him, for she did have a rather awkward blend of plants and food. Tiny white camomilla flowers were bundled in a mesh bag, a jar of crimson ashwagandha berries and chopped roots were nestled on one of the sides, the large ippocastano fruits were wrapped in a handkerchief, and thick sunset blooms of calendula flowers were bundled together.

"That should do it for the salve," Lucy chirped while inspecting the petals of her new flowers. "Now, I just need to grab some more fruit and an oil base. We should be out of here pretty soon."

"It ain't that hard," the dragon slayer grumbled with a pout. "Ya coulda jus' told me to grab ya flowers an' berries. Coulda stayed at Fairy Tail while I did it, too an' rested yer leg."

"If I had done that, would you have looked for the best calendula flowers? Because wilted petals weakens the healing effect. Not to mention that if the ashwagandha root is too fresh, it would dilute the salve too much to make it effective," the blonde tisked. "Besides, some vendors try to sell sirvart berries in place of ashwagandha berries, even though sirvart berries are bitter and deadly in high quantities. It's taken me months to spot the difference." She paused, picking out some fruits and vegetables to place in her basket before topping her purchase with bread.

"If it's so dangerous, why d'ya do it?" he frowned. Lucy gave him a look, one edged in fatigue, before shaking her head.

"I nearly died on an easy job last year," she told him, studying a jar of sweetner- nectar or honey, maybe? "A man in Stella had asked me to catch the goblins by the shore and while I was on the job, I ended up being ambushed by dark mages." She let out a shuddering breath, glancing over her shoulder instinctually. "He broke my entire rib cage, my leg, and nearly drowned me. I'm pretty sure I had internal bleeding, too. If I hadn't known what to do, I would have died without a doubt. This salve has helped me and other people so much and it isn't difficult to make, so I prefer to have some on hand."

"How the fuck did ya jus' say that so calmly?" he shrieked, half panicked and scaring a couple nearby. "Ya almost died! Ya can't jus' say that like it's a fun fact!"

Shaking her head and taking in her surroundings- either to ease her worries or find something to distract Natsu, she couldn't say. Either way, Lucy gasped and nearly dropped her newly purchased food.

"An open house!" she cheered while hobbling down a street following the Magnolia canal. "Look, Natsu! An apartment for rent in between the market and Fairy Tail!"

"We ain't jus' gonna barge in," the dragon slayer was quick to protest. He wasn't ready for her to leave- the mere thought of being away from her made his heart stop in fear.

"That's alright, you should head back to the guild anyways. I don't know how long it will take Happy to realize we're not there anymore," the blonde reminded him gently. "I'm going to check this place out." She didn't wait for him to either agree or reject the idea before working her way into the building, following the signs upstair.

"Fuck!" He grumbled the whole way back to the guild to grab his cat- who, by the way, was _beyond_ annoyed about being forgotten.

* * *

The only light in the area was a smattering of nearly burnt out candles, flickering and giving in to the oppressive shadows that clung to every nook and cranny of the dilapidated building in the middle of the woods. Laughter spilled out of the cracks in the wood and half broken doors. "What guild was that woman from?" a beefy man with more scars than smooth skin laughed out. "She's fuckin' gorgeous." He slammed a shot down, laughter ringing in the air around him. "Shoulda made a move on her! Damn it!"

"You wouldn't have stood a chance," a round man with frog like features drawled, obviously bored.

"What'd ya say?" the first man yelled, getting up in the other man's face.

"Is Kageyama back yet?" a cool voice called, silencing the rowdy group in an instant. The newer members of the guild watched the man warily while the older members looked around jovially.

"It ain't an easy task to break _its_ seal, so it can't be helped," a man dressed as a Desiertan mummy chided playfully.

"Don't be too relaxed," the guild master countered, a twisted smile crossing his lips. "_Now_ is the time." He brought his weapon, a large scythe, in front of his face and eyed the bakshi skull on the end of the gnarled handle. "Now, when those _assholes_ are attending the regular meeting."

* * *

**I just took a DNA test. Turns out I'm 100% THAT BITCH! **

**Reviews!**

**Melancholy's Sunshine, Fairy Tail men cower as Lucy helps unite Fairy Tail women, first bringing Mirajane and Levy into her ranks. Then comes Erza, and they just know every other female will follow. They shall all die within a fortnight of misbehaving. But Natsu's _definitely_ going to need outside help. Having Happy fly Lucy up would only work a few times, because she'd grow to expect it. I think I like the idea of Natsu hugging her legs like a kid throwing a temper tantrum as a backup plan. Lucy will be wearing some pants (definitely more than in canon) because I honestly don't know anyone who wears skirts all the time, especially while hiking and stuff. We could definitely try for a oneshot like that, but all I can imagine is Natsu yelling at Gray for stripping his pants off and then Happy screeching in shock because Gray somehow stripped his shirt and Happy didn't even realize it was happening.**

**Rere97Maui, I can't wait to add Erza to their team! When Natsu cools his jets a little and Erza and Lucy go on 'a girl only mission' which turns out to just be spa days. And then when they go on girl only jobs and team up with some of the other girls. I'm so hyped for it, honestly. And as if Natsu's wants outweigh Erza's determination. Once she sets her eyes on a goal, she completes it. **

WildCatWit**, intergroom sounds amazing! I literally just switched from the floor back into grooming maybe a month ago and I'm still working for both departments so I'm wearing myself thin and ugh! I just want a vacation, honestly. You should definitely keep me posted! I'd be hella down to go out there! This job wears down your body hella, honestly. I started finding bruises on my arms and not just my legs. But I had the cutest puppy (labeled as a Pomeranian but it was obviously a short haired chihuahua) and I almost cried cause it was so cute. Back to the story though, Lucy is finding her own apartment! I know! These arcs were back to back and I just need her to not live with Natsu for a month. Natsu will not be revealing that she is a part of his hoard yet- and he _technically_ won't be revealing it, but you didn't hear that from me. Happy and Lucy will bond very shortly, trust me. I know he's a jealous little turd right now, but that will kinda change soon. Thank you so much!**

**LannyBarbara, right?! Ooh, I can't wait to write utterly pissed off panicked Natsu on a rampage. I've never heard West Virginia, but it may be played while I write. I'll give it a shot! Okay, and for Happy, I know he's a real pain in the ass right now cause he's jealous, but I'm trying to give all of the characters at least mild realistic reactions and emotions. For Happy, he was really Natsu's sole focus for a long time, and for a while, if Natsu wasn't focusing on him, Lisanna was. Then, Lisanna died and Happy was the only one Natsu still held close to him. Then, all of a sudden, this new girl pops up and she's already worming her way into their lives and Happy feels forgotten. He doesn't want to act on it, because he's glad Natsu's found someone else he can be a normal person around, someone who doesn't remind him of all he's lost, but he wishes it was just the two of them again. I swear they'll talk it out soon (Lucy and Happy, Natsu's oblivious). Thank you love!**

**TheJSmooth, I love awkward Natsu. Gray has become the new Natsu, honestly, and he just tries to be more subtle in picking his fights with the strongest mages of the guild. He's just trying to up his rank, cause if he can beat an S-class mage, shouldn't he be an S-class mage? Bad way. Anytime any guy speaks about Erza (except Jellal, I guess. Or Ichiya) it's more than likely because she beat them up. **

**Valerioux, thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it!  
**

**Kasai, mucho gracias! Planeo. **

**Yoru no Nx, hell yeah Titania! Lucy's leg will be fine, and she's finding her place! And all the Levy Lucy bonding moments!**

**19vanelkc, thank you so much darling! WE MUST GET MARRIED ON JUNE NINETH! THIS IS WHY I'M MARRYING YOU MY BRILLIANT DARLING! **

**Guest, thank you so much! I hope you continue to enjoy the story!**

**ForeverTwistedLove8814, I can't wait until Phantom Lord either! **

**Aliciacevbra, thank you! I hope the madness dies down soon!**

**ChaosreigN, thank you darling! And all of the Erza ass kicking! **

**Savwafair, you were not the one who made me late! I just didn't write! We both know that I do this sometimes and you don't have to cover for it lol. So all of the apologies!**

**Guest, thank you! I really did try to get this story right for a while. I've literally had the idea for like two years and then I tried to write it but I didn't like how it was coming out. Right? Like, could you imagine if Levy had taken that job and she just beats up the client for even thinking of burning a book and Jet and Droy are in the back just shrugging and cheering her on. I've read and reread Between the Lines so much it's ridiculous, so share the story!**

**Littlest1, thank you! Happy is loathing how easily Natsu and Lucy are getting along and it's definitely showing. She's definitely giving them hints, and they aren't filling in the blanks on their own. Thank you so much! Lucy and Erza are gonna be great friends. **

**LovelyLovelyLove****, I'm a binge story now! What a concept! Thank you love!**

**MoonLuver92, thank you!**


	12. Chapter twelve

**Chapter twelve**

It was a beautiful morning- the sun was out and heating up the air, small animals were scuttling along and singing, and Lucy had just finalized her contract with her new landlady. She _finally_ had her own apartment. Of course, Natsu had insisted on staying with her the whole time- and even then there was one point in the meeting with the middle aged woman when he had fallen asleep on her shoulder. Happy, however, refused his invitation to tag along; he was ignoring her as punishment for "stealing Natsu yesterday."

Overall, Lucy was enjoying the beginning of her day. She figured it was a good omen for today's adventure.

"Good morning, Gray," she called as they reached the train station and saw the dark haired mage smoking a cigarette by the ticket booth. He smiled when he saw the blonde and flicked the butt to the ground to squash the ember under the toe of his boot.

"Mornin', Lucy. Go die, hot head," he greeted pleasantly, waving lazily.

"The fuck d'ya jus' call me, ya fuckin' exhabitionist?" Natsu snarled. "Why does that monster Erza even need our help?"

"How the fuck would I know?" Gray sneered, getting up in his face. "Besides, if she does need help, I would be _more_ than enough. _Alone_."

"Then go by yerself! I don't wanna go!" the dragon slayer shouted, accidentally shoving his rival into a food cart.

"You two are causing trouble," Lucy chided, snagging the tail of Natsu's scarf and yanking him towards a bench. "Shut up and sit down." When she deposited the roset on a bench, he looked like a kicked puppy, and she nearly hugged him with how cute that pout was. "Gray, come sit! Now!" She waited only until the dark haired man had come and taken a seat before heaving out a sigh and ignoring the whistles from behind her. "Leave it alone, Natsu."

"They're starin' at yer ass!" the dragon slayer barked, furiously glaring at the grimy workers. "If ya ain't gonna go beat 'em up, lemme!"

"No. No more fighting today," the blonde stated firmly, speaking over Gray when he opened his mouth to taunt the dragon slayer. "That goes for the both of you. All I ask is that you don't fight until Erza gets here. We don't know what kind of job this is, and if we have to keep a low profile, you two fighting will only draw unwanted attention."

"Wow Lucy, that's a good point," Happy quipped. "I didn't think you got those."

"Watch it, cat. I feel bad for leaving you yesterday, but I won't let you harass me because of it. Just accept my fish from this morning as my apology."

"I apologize," a familiar voice called from behind the blonde. "Did I make you all wait?" Lucy spun around with a bright smile on her face, only for her jaw to drop when she saw the same beautiful woman with striking scarlet hair from the day before surrounded by luggage. She was pulling a one of those carts used with agriculture to move bulk. It had luggage stacked higher than Erza was tall. "Oh, you were in Fairy Tail yesterday, but I don't seem to remember you."

"That's because I'm a new member," Lucy hurried out, breathless in the face of one of her idles. "My name's Lucy. Natsu's been insisting on doing jobs with me, so I'll try to be useful." She dipped into an elegant curtsy, a small flush coming to Erza's cheeks. Gray and Natsu watched the exchange with wide eyes- damn, the new girl was a pro at sweet-talking their stronger guildmates.

"I am sure you will be of use," the redhead soothed in a strong voice. "I'm Erza. It's a pleasure to meet you." She paused for a moment, eyeing the behaving pair on the bench for a moment. "Lucy. That would make you the one that the guild talk about. I heard that you defeated a mercenary gorilla. You sound promising."

"I'm afraid the facts got twisted. Natsu defeated a couple mercenaries and I fought a Duke and his large maid," the blonde tried to correct, only to be completely ignored.

"This mission may be a bit risky, but seeing as you did splendidly on your last job, I think you will be fine," Erza continued, oblivious to the mistakes in her knowledge.

"Hang on! Risky?" Natsu fretted with a hint of panic to his bolted up from his spot on the bench to hover protectively over the freshly healed blonde. "I don't know what this job is, but I'll go with ya on one condition."

"A condition?" Erza challenged, quirking a single, elegant eyebrow. Despite that, she had amusement dancing in her eyes.

"You idiot," Gray hissed before a sugary smile came onto his face. "I would work for you for free, Erza!"

"Lucy stays with me or you. She jus' got over a pretty bad twisted knee, an' I ain't leavin' her safety to fate," he demanded, for once ignoring Gray's insult.

"Don't be ridiculous, Natsu! Erza just said this would be risky," Lucy scolded in a low tone. "I'm not going to endanger everyone by hiding behind my team. You watched me heal, you tested my knee. I'm _fine_."

"You really have grown up," the redhead mused with a nostalgic smile and started to walk towards the ticket booth. "I'm not very confident in myself, but alright, I accept your condition. I believe this shall be wonderful female bonding time, anyways."

"Hang on, what d'ya mean ya ain't confident? Ya better be confident!" the dragon slayer called after her. He chased after Erza as she headed off to purchase tickets, hooking an arm around Lucy's shoulders to pull her with him.

"What the fuck is that girl doing to Fairy Tail?" Gray mumbled in awe. The unmistakably girly smile he had never before seen cross Erza's face was suddenly plastered to the back of his eyelids, and Natsu's request to help guard the blonde was playing on repeat in his ears.

"You're telling me," Happy huffed, chasing after their group with Gray close behind him. "Just wait until we get on the train."

* * *

"You're fuckin' kidding me!" Gray roared in laughter the moment the train began to roll forward. The way Natsu wound himself around the celestial mage was amusing, to say the least, but the gentle cooing sound she made every time he stiffened sent the smoker over the edge. "You're so hopeless, Natsu. Why don't ya go somewhere else if you're gonna be this annoying? Better yet, just run next to the train."

"It isn't his fault that he has motion sickness," Lucy said defensively. "Even though it happens every time, it still looks really painful." She may have missed the soft, adoring smile that lit up the dragon slayer's face for a split second, but the rest of the team didn't. When she looked over at him and brushed her fingers through his hair, he was back to being an unpleasant green.

"He looks much better than usual," Erza admitted. "You must be a miracle worker. The last time we rode a train together, I was forced to render him unconscious." The redhead paused for a moment, watching the carefully cultivated mask Lucy had schooled her face into to avoid showing her shock, before smiling and dipping her head in approval. "Let me know if I may be of use during the ride."

"Of course," the blonde stuttered. "Is that part of your magic? Easing people into unconsciousness?" While the armored mage chuckled, the males all cringed at the use of _"Erza"_ and _"ease" _in the same sentence. "I haven't really seen any magic other than Natsu and Happy's since coming to Fairy Tail. What kind of magic do you use, if you don't mind me asking, Erza-san?"

"You may call me Erza," the redhead assured her. The smile Lucy shot her in response was blindingly bright.

"Erza's magic is beautiful," Happy said with sparkles in his eyes as he spun in the air above them before plopping back down between Erza and Gray. "She makes a lot of blood come out of her enemies."

"It's nothing special," the armored mage said bashfully. "I'm an experienced fighter with requip magic. I personally believe that Gray has some of the most beautiful magic I've seen."

"Ya think so?" Gray mumbled thoughtfully, his fingers playing with the high collar of his jacket. As if testing Erza's opinion he placed a fist in his palm and pushed his magic into his fingers. A small wave of chilled air swept through their area as he slowly released his fist and moved the hand away, leaving a small Fairy Tail insignia laying against the palm of his hand. "I use ice make magic."

"I never would have pictured you as an ice mage," Lucy admitted sheepishly while inspecting the insignia. "I suppose it makes sense though."

"What d'ya mean?" the ice mage asked in amusement, leaning forward and propping his elbows on his knees.

"Well, Natsu's fire and you're ice. Your temperaments also seem to follow after your magic, so it's no wonder you guys have such a _rocky_ relationship," the celestial mage explained.

"That is a very good observation," Erza agreed.

"Who cares 'bout that?" Gray pouted, hunching over and sulking. "Let's just get on with it already. What's goin' on, Erza? You don't ask for help very often."

"Of course. Allow for me to explain," Erza's tone sobered. "While I was on my way back from my last job, I stopped by a bar in Onibas where mages gather to share information. Some people caught my attention during my visit. They were outrageously loud and very disrespectful, and they were talking about finding something called _Lullaby_\- apparently, it was sealed up and they were unable to break it. Then, one of their comrades stood up and said not to worry about it, that he would break the seal in three days and to let Erigor know."

"Lullaby?" Lucy mouthed, her eyebrows pulled together in confusion.

"Is it some kinda magic to put people to sleep?" Gray wondered, trying to search his mind for any possible answers.

"I'm not sure, but since it had been sealed, it probably contains some powerful magic," the redhead reminded them.

"So, what? You came across some people who wanted to break the seal of some unknown magic. That coulda been their job. It's nothing special," Gray told her. "I don't get why you asked us to come."

"Well, that was what I told myself as well, and I let it slip my mind for a while," the requip mage said, lowering her voice. "Then, I remembered the name Erigor. The ace of the dark mage guild Eisenwald, Erigor the Grim Reaper, a nickname he earned due to his preference to accept assassination requests. The council prohibited mages from taking assassination requests a few years ago, but Eisenwald chose money over justice. That resulted with them being kicked out of the mage guild league."

"Hang on, you said kicked out," Lucy stammered as she stood after the train whistle blared to announce their arrival to Onibas. "Didn't they get punished?"

Suddenly, she felt a chill run up her spine- almost like an icy finger beckoning her away from her guildmates, and she cast a glance over her shoulder as she ducked under Natsu's arm.

"They were," Erza continued, as if clueless to the dark magic toying with the blonde. "Their guild master was arrested and the guild was ordered to disband themselves." They were nearly off the train when the second wave of oppressive magic washed over the blonde, who had to catch Gray's arm to keep her knees from buckling.

"Here," he said, "let me take the fat ass pyro." She nodded in gratitude, then used the distraction to slip away from her friends and let herself get swept up in the boarding crowd. Natsu immediately started trying to stumble away from his rival when he noticed Lucy's scent fade from the immediate area, but Gray halted his departure by holding the still slightly green man even tighter.

"Most dark guilds keep functioning regardless of disbandment orders," the redhead continued, speaking more to Happy than anyone else at this point. "It was a blunder on my part. If I had only remembered the name Erigor back at the bar," a sudden darkness washed over her features, eyes growing hard and fist clenching around the handle to her carriage of luggage, "I would have incapacitated them then and there."

"No one blames ya," Gray soothed her softly, before nearly snarling when Natsu once more tried to break away from him. "If it was just the people at the scene, you probably could've handled them all by yourself, but when it's an entire guild…"

"They got ahold of this magic called Lullaby and are plotting something," she reiterated. "I determined that we could not overlook this matter. We shall march against Eisenwald."

"Sounds interesting," the ice mage chuckled. "So, do you even know where Eisenwald is?" When the dragon slayer pulled away again, the dark haired man finally snapped, rounding on the motion sick roset. "What is your problem, pyro?"

"Where's Luce?" he slurred miserably, trying to look over his shoulders and find the blonde. While both Gray and Erza looked horrified to discover the blonde was missing, Happy just sighed- that weird girl really did have the worst luck.

* * *

The moment the train began to move forward, Lucy knew just how stupid she was for not telling the rest of her team about the dark magic; it was nearly oppressive without the comfort of light magic beside her. Still, she wasn't sure how dangerous this was going to be and she wasn't going to anyone else get hurt if she could prevent it. "Sir," she purred out in a heavy Stellan accent, "is this seat taken?" The man the magic lead her to didn't make her as wary as the magic did; he looked rather friendly, actually, and had laugh lines beginning to form on his face despite how young he was.

"Have a seat, ma'am," he offered quickly, scooting down on his own bench despite the fact that he gestured towards the bench before him. "It would be an honor to be accompanied by such a cute girl." Lucy nearly rolled her eyes, fighting for an easy smile as she sat. "Tell me something about yourself. Where are you from?" There was an edge to the question that sent chills down her spine.

"From Stella, sir. A small town named Leqah," she said in the sweetest voice she could muster up. "Now it's my turn. Tell me, are you a mage?" Lucy propped her elbows daintily against her knees, making sure to show off some of her impressive cleavage. She cupped her face in her hands. "What magic do you use?"

The man before her laughed heartily, not unkindly in any way though it still sent shivers racing along her spine. "You legal guild girls are so cute. I couldn't convince you to come join my guild, could I?"

The celestial mage spent a few moments thinking her options over. She could either prepare to fight and lose the act or she could lie. It was an easy choice- Lucy never lied. "I would rather die."

* * *

"How foolish could I have been?" Erza snarled at the poor employee she had grabbed who immediately began to sweat profusely. "I was too focused on talking and failed to realize Lucy was still on the train. I was tasked with keeping her safe by Natsu, too! It's all my fault! You may hit me in retribution." She bowed her head towards Natsu, who was coddling Happy and anxiously cracking his joints. "So that is the situation at hand. I shall stop the train!"

"Wait a minute, what's going on?" the employee stuttered. "Don't talk nonsense! We can't stop the train just because one person didn't manage to get off in time!" But it was too late- the armored woman's mocha eyes had already fallen upon a plaque beneath a switch that read _"emergency stop signal"_.

"It's for our nakama, please understand," she said respectfully. "Happy!"

"Aye, sir!" the cat chirped, taking off into the air and pulling the lever. Alarms began to trill immediately, sharp sounds making everyone present cringe, and townspeople were startled by the sharp zing of magic that raced along the tracks, searching for the train to stop.

"Let's go after Lucy!" Erza ordered while handing the employee the handle to her luggage cart. "Excuse me, but please deliver this to the _Hotel Chili_."

"Who are you?" the man whimpered.

"This is such a mess," Gray grumbled, crossing his arms over his bare chest.

"Your clothes, Gray." Happy pointed to his current lack of... well, everything, and watched the man scramble to find his lost outfit.

* * *

**Sorry about the late, short chapter guys! This week's been rough. I have two days off and I'm probably working over 40 hours, but it's all good. Also, welcome to my country phase. Please bear with me while I try not to type out country songs instead of an actual author's note. **

**Reviews!**

**LovelyLovelyLove, grumbly Natsu is my baby and I will protect him at all costs.**

**Bookgirl18, honestly, it seems highly unrealistic that in that big ass guild, _no one _knows anything about medicine. Like, sure, Wendy later, but what about before that? You're telling me the minute their village rebelled and started hurting her family, Mira wasn't studying health and simple ways to heal people, and that Levy isn't practically a lead doctor without the title. Doubtful. And Natsu will freak out a few more times before the story's done.**

**Melancholy's Sunshine, Erza will learn all about Lucy very soon. They won't talk about their many jobs until a little later, but Natsu will surely have a heart attack. And maybe Lucy will have a little reputation following her.**

**Valerioux, Erza couldn't scold Natsu or Gray during her berating the guild because she had to butter them up. And I just want to clear something up before people think that Natsu is actually forgetting about Happy: NATSU IS NOT REPLACING HAPPY WITH LUCY. Now that I have your attention, Happy is definitely still a huge part of Natsu's life- and his hoard. He's just an old piece, one that Natsu knows can take care of itself. When Happy's hurt, Natsu will treat him the same way he's treating Lucy- to some extent, of course. **

**19vanelkc, I'm kind of always brain dead, so it's all g. I appreciate a good day/month/year format. BUT our honeymoon must be the 21 night of September so we can sing the song every year. _DO YOU REMEMBER THE 21 NIGHT OF SEPTEMBER?_**

**SoftKittyPaw, yes. I just took a DNA test turns out I'm _100% that bitch even when I'm craying crazy! Yeah I got boy problems that's the human in me. Bling bling then I solve them, that's the goddess in me- yOu CoUlDa HaD a BaD bItCh, NoNcOmMiTtAl._ You're super duper sweet and I'm glad you noticed the updates now and enjoyed the story! This story is a lot more centered than the other- my own takes on the characters were out of character and I wanted to die.  
**

**LannyBarbara, ENDGAME FUCKED ME UP RIGHT IN MY FEELINGS I WASN'T READY I LITERALLY SAW IT LAST NIGHT WHAT THE FUCK? ooooOOOH. Erza is in the house. Okay, but imagine Avengers!Fairy Tail crew. Is this a new AU I smell?**

RedDragon395**, heck yeah! That song's my shit right now!**

Littlest1**, Loke's such a little drama queen. The guild didn't even knew overprotective mother hen Natsu existed until Lucy rolled around and they are living for it. Mirajane is honestly ready to go demon 24/7 and Natsu will one day be the unfortunate victim. Lucy really does have some rotten good luck, doesn't she? I can't wait to have Lucy share a bunch of personal information with someone- Levy, Mirajane, Erza, whoever- and casually let something slip that sends Natsu into a panic attack. Erza and Mirajane are **_definitely _**best friends. You don't think Erza will be her maid of honor and gift Mirajane some ornate dagger to hide in her bouquet or something of that sort? Gray being a smoker makes him so badass honestly, because can you imagine him carrying around matches and he'll light one for Natsu every now and again so he can eat and in return Natsu lights his cigarettes? Cute. Lucy studied anatomy, medicine, and herbs for _far _too long for Natsu to just come in and try to undermine her knowledge. Natsu is terrible at balancing his hoard, but he will get better, promise.**

**DonTheDarkDragon26, thank you so much! **

Yoru no Nx**, okay, I know that was a heavy little tidbit of her past, but keep in mind that she's been on her own facing dangerous situations since she was like ten. When her mother died, it was her and her spirits in both the manor and outside of it. Even back when all she had to do was dress up and be polite to nasty politicians and aristocrats, she had to keep her family name in the right light and fend off perverts with a little too much to drink. She's used to defending herself because she doesn't expect anyone else to. That being said, she's going to keep this independence for a while longer. I have heart breaking plans. I CAN'T WAIT TO GET THIS STORY OUT THERE BECAUSE I AM BEING LAZY BUT I LOVE IT SO MUCH! _ahhhhhhh!_**

**WildCatWit, I'm so hyped to go to intergroom! But my body is dead. My back hurts like 24/7 and it makes me sad cause I'm only 18 (about to be 19!) and it hurts to bend over. It's those big dogs, though! They ruin everything! I'm kidding, I love the big dogs, but my poor back. So, there's kind of going to be one big reveal in Phantom about what's happened to Lucy, but it'll be pretty vague. Other smaller, more detailed pieces will pop up throughout the story.**

**Lu, thank you so much honey! I love reading these kinds of fics as well, but none of them are long enough- or they're too long- for me to enjoy it properly. You're so precious!**

**Fairy. Rains, of course I'm including Loke's little arc! It's actually going to be hella important much much later in the story. The fact that you left a review at all made me smile, but if you ever need to vent, my PMs are open and I'd love to hear it. I hope everything got better. **

**TabbyKatRoses, ****I'm not really a Lizzo fan (I haven't listened to many of her songs) and I haven't seen the movie. I got the song from a friend and let me tell you, driving late at night screaming "I'm 100% that bitch" and "You coulda had a bad bitch, noncommittal" is a religious experience. Thank you!**


	13. Chapter thirteen

**Chapter thirteen**

"Tell me something," the man before Lucy implored casually, "Fairy Tail has some rather famous mages, doesn't it?" He gave a hearty laugh- as if _that_ fact would shock her, it was how she found out about the guild in the first place!- before pinning her with a sharp look. "Yes, whispers of the fairies reach even the shadows we reside in. I've heard about Mirajane." He gave her a moment to interject, but the celestial mage kept her lips sealed. "She's in some magazines, _and_ she's beautiful. She used to be a kick-ass mage. Do you know why she's inactive? I mean, she's still so young." He wasn't growing irritated by her silence, Lucy mused when he shrugged and sat back against the bench once more. "I guess _you_ would be the cute new girl, though I haven't heard a name."

"Good," she snapped, haughty and more than a little irritated that Natsu wasn't here to roast the man.

"I noticed that legal guilds have a lot of cute girls," he continued on, expertly ignoring her rudeness. "I envy the guys, really. I mean, there are no cute girls in my guild, certainly none as cute as you. Maybe you'd like to come join us?"

"I wouldn't be caught _dead_ in a dark guild," she hissed, leaning forward in her seat with narrowed eyes. He responded with a slap to her face- apparently, he didn't like that answer. Lucy couldn't breath for a moment when she found herself looking to the rushing scenery, her cheek burning and her eyes watering without her consent.

"Don't be so discriminatory towards dark guilds," he scolded, shaking his hand out. The pinpricks of slapping her must have gotten to him, the blonde thought bitterly as she glared at him. "Anyways, Fairy Tail's been getting a lot of attention lately. You know, stuck up people like you legal mages annoy the hell outta me." She didn't trust the darkness in his gaze, the demented pleasure he seemed to take out of her throbbing cheek. "Ya know what we call fairies at my guild? _Flies_." He was almost there, almost cocky enough to _actually_ fight her, to hopefully expose whatever that dark magic was. She had to bite the inside of her cheek when he began to smack the top of her head. "I'm fly swatting!" he laughed out.

That was the last straw. Lucy slammed the sharp heel of her boot into his chest, sending the shadowy haired man back into his seat. "You're annoying," she countered as she stood, twirling her rings in one hand. "And you're overly confident. You may look down on legal mages, but you shouldn't have so carelessly picked on the first legal mage you saw." The celestial summoner picked out a couple keys, keeping her attention focused on every twitch of her enemy's muscles. "Nyra, Leo." People screamed when the dragon appeared, puffing out its chest and snarling viciously towards the man; likewise, a few fainted when a silent lion cub came slinking out from behind a pair of seats with their eyes locked onto the dark haired man across from her. Their car was empty in moments, the evil man looking only amused by the show.

"A _celestial_ mage? _That's_ the best Fairy Tail could throw at us?" he taunted. "Honestly, maybe we should start calling you maggots instead." The lion was the first to strike, her young spirit furious at the insult, and was immediately shot backwards when a fist made of shadows smacked against him.

"Leo, Nyra, hang back," she said, her voice cold. The dark mage had an unusually dark shadow- not too noticeable, but she could see it now; it almost looked to be moving sluggishly, something that could be passed off as a trick of the eye.

"You'll never beat me," he told her snidely, leaning back in his seat. "You can't even get a hit on me. _Guaranteed_."

"Nyra," Lucy snarled. _"Harq."_ With a snap of her fingers, a small flame was burning her fingertips, a feeling the blonde was used to by this point, and her dragon let out a rumbling growl as she blew against the flame. The fire grew, crackling as it rushed towards the man on the bench, and he swore as he dove out of the way. Scorch marks lined the seats and walls, but she couldn't focus on the damages nor how much they would cost, hopping away from reaching shadows.

A shrill screeching sound made the pair falter, hands flying over their ears as both Nyra and Leo disappeared in clouds of dust. Lucy went flying down the aisle, the sudden stop of the train sending her careening into a waiting bench. She let out a little whine as she eyed her hip she had landed on, sure that it would bruise, but shook that off in favor of seeking out her opponent. She found him laying a little ways away from her, a gnarled branch between them.

"Lullaby," Lucy corrected herself. She could only stare in horror at the flute for a second and remembered seeing the three eyed skull somewhere in a book years prior. Without even hesitating, she lunged forward and snagged the wood to shove it into her bag with panicked breaths. "You were trying to use _this_?"

"Give it back!" he cried, hysterical as he sprang up and sent wave after wave of shadows towards her. She was trapped by the sheer mass of ghostly fingers clawing at her body and searching her empty bag for the flute. "That wasn't yours to take! You _bitch_!"

"Careful! Rip the purse and it'll be in the middle of Fairy Tail!" the blonde snapped. "We have mages who would easily be able to place it and give it back to the council if that happened!" The shadows paused, curling all the more tightly around her, before the man sneered and snatched her keys from her hip.

"Then I'll just hold onto your keys until you give it back," he gritted out through clenched teeth. "We'll break them one by one until you give us Lullaby." His nose pressed harshly against her own as he hissed out his threats. "You'll wish you were _dead_ by the time we're done with you."

"You aren't the first man to promise that," she snarled back, just as heated. "And you definitely won't be the last!" She landed one violent kick against his shin, the man doubling over as his magic loosened its hold on her. The train had begun rolling again, and without a moment to spare, Lucy jumped out of the nearest window.

* * *

"Faster," Natsu pleaded from the back, whining in Erza's ear for the umpteenth time since they had stolen the magic powered vehicle. The train was in sight, and she had figured that would calm his nerves- there was no visible destruction, so maybe they had merely overreacted and lost their blonde friend in the crowds. She was wrong, she knew, but she still hoped.

"Fuck! Shut up, you burnt pickled plum!" Gray growled from the roof of the car. The ice mage had been significantly less patient with their rosy haired teammate, and Erza couldn't exactly blame him considering her own rising temper. They were nearly at the train. It had begun moving again, which complicated their plan a little, but the redhead was sure Gray was prepared to board regardless and search for Lucy- even Happy had reluctantly volunteered.

The sound of shattering glass made all four pairs of eyes search the length of the train, though the way the sun caught on her golden hair made it beyond easy to see the celestial mage as she flew towards the ground. "Happy!" Erza ordered quickly, the cat already in the air.

"Aye!" he chirped back in acknowledgement. His tail wrapped firmly around the blonde's waist, holding her in the air easily as they eased the car to a stop, and it wasn't hard to see that something was wrong. The poor blonde was paler than usual and trembling, her clothes crumpled and torn in places.

"Lucy," Erza called, hopping off of the front seat the moment they were at a standstill. "I apologize for leaving you on the train. It makes me happy to see you safe, but you may hit me in retribution."

"We have to go!" the blonde shouted, urging Gray and Erza to the vehicle once more. "I got Lullaby, but I couldn't apprehend the Eisenwald member. We _have_ to go." Something was off, they could all feel it, but nothing came to mind as the silently took their seats and continued to follow the train.

* * *

He was irritated; he _hated_ average civilians more than the typical dark mage, which was part of the reason he only accepted jobs that required murder. Still, compromise was necessary for overthrowing their current way of life. At least his reputation preceded him and left people cowering and running for their lives as his guild followed behind him. "Get every passenger and employee off the train!" he called to his underlings, voice clear above the panic beginning to ensue. "Eisenwald is taking over."

The sheer panic that ensued irritated the silver haired man- he already had limited patience with humans and prefered to only be around corpses- but he could bottle his frustrations up for later. He passed by a fallen woman and stepped onto the train, amber eyes searching for his underling. "Erigor."

"Kageyama," he greeted gruffly. "I heard you were gonna come back on this train, so we decided to meet you here."

"I managed to break the seal," the dark haired man hurried to rush out, looking nervous. "This little fly came and stole it, though, but they'll come after us!" His assurance didn't get him far as Erigor's patience snapped. A swift gesture with his hand and suddenly Kageyama was screaming as wind funneled through one ear and out the other, rupturing his eardrums. "I got her keys! She has to come back!" He was still sobbing when the wind stopped, holding a shaky hand out towards the fair haired guild master with keys chiming softly in his grasp.

"This is quite a set of keys," Erigor appraised. "There's no doubt that fly will come back. Then, the forbidden magic of Lullaby will be ours."

"Good plan Erigor!" another of their guild shouted.

"Our plan is almost complete!" a third cheered.

"The flute was once just a tool for cursing a victim and sending them into an eternal slumber," Erigor explained, the mood having become too light for his particular taste. "Then, the great dark mage Zeref further developed the magic of Lullaby to kill anyone unfortunate enough to hear its melody. He created such a terrible thing." A wicked smile curled over his lips. "The mass curse murder magic, Lullaby, will soon be ours. Let the show begin!"

* * *

"Why's your cheek red?" Gray asked after a painfully long bit of silence, Natsu gagging when Lucy jumped in surprise. It took her a few heartbeats to calm back down, her topaz colored eyes focusing on Gray as she did, as if to tell herself that he was a comrade- something he was sure the sudden disappearance of his shirt helped, seeing as his guild mark was on display. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she whispered. "Lullaby just has a very powerful presence." She eyed her backpack warily, shuddering after a second.

"I don't feel anything," the ice mage told her slowly, his eyebrows drawn together. "I couldn't feel anything on the train, either."

"That's because I use a holy magic," Lucy explained softly. "I'm much more sensitive to dark magics." She left it at that, the silence stretching uncomfortably between them for a few moments. "What did you ask in the beginning?"

"Your cheek. It looks painful," the dark haired man reiterated, gesturing with a cigarette. "How'd ya get it?" He didn't miss the way her eyes flickered to the dragon slayer on her lap- nor the way his eyes locked onto her face, as if reading how truthful her words were.

"The dark mage," she answered reluctantly. "He… caught me off guard. It doesn't hurt much." Truthfully, her cheek didn't hurt, it was her hip that was killing her- especially with Natsu's shoulder pressed against the blooming bruise.

"What would Eisenwald want with mass death curse magic?" Erza interrupted from the front of the vehicle.

"World domination," Gray suggested easily. "Torture of innocents. Another way to deal with assassination requests. Take your pick." Silence fell over the group when they found their way towards the Oshibana Station, rune knights stationed as a perimeter around the building.

"We will have to park here and walk. There are too many people," the redhead decided, turning swiftly into an alley and preparing herself to face a dark guild. The moment the team stepped out of the carriage, they could hear the screams from the crowd, words becoming clear as they traveled.

"A bunch of men carrying scythes suddenly came into the train!"

"I know them! They're from that dark guild somewhere around here!"

"I left the things I need for my work inside. They're more important than my life!"

"Now why would they take over a train?" Gray asked, chewing on the butt of his burnt out cigarette. "I could understand a horse drawn carriage or a boat, but why a train?"

"Aye," Happy chimed in. "It can only run on the rails so it's not very beneficial to take over."

"But it has speed," Erza cut in. "It could be that they are in a hurry to carry out a plan."

"Well, whatever it is, they won't be able to carry it out. The military's already here, so it's just a matter of time until they're arrested."

"I hope so," Lucy whispered.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please stay back! It's dangerous here!" an employee said with an amplifying lacrima. "A train was derailed by accident, so no one is allowed to go into the station! Until we can confirm the safety inside, the station will be closed to the public!" The outrage in the crowd increased in volume, people shouting and muttering about terrorists.

Once they finally broke through the townspeople, Erza stormed up to the nearest worker and demanded, "What's going on inside?"

"Who are you?" he stuttered, caught off guard. The requip mage, with her lack of patience, decided that the answer wouldn't suffice and crashed her forehead against his own. She turned to the next employee, repeating the steps as she moved closer to the entrance while leaving a trail of bodies in her wake.

"She certainly doesn't like to wait for her answers," Lucy choked out as another man hit the floor. Gray nodded, eyes wide and walking on the side Natsu hadn't claimed.

"You know her better now," he said shakily.

"There are terrorists inside!" a young man shrieked in fear, cowering away from Erza. "A military platoon went in, but they haven't come back out. Neither have the terrorists, so there must be a battle going on."

"I see," the redhead mumbled as she continued inside. "Let's go."

* * *

Bodies littered the ground, pools of blood curling along the linoleum, making the floor slick wherever a dead soldier laid. Lucy never let her fear show on her face, a careful mask of indifference making her feel heartless even as her hands shook so fiercely that Natsu kept peeking towards them. "They're all dead," Happy whispered in horror, sinking back and settling around Natsu's neck instead of floating beside him.

"Their opponent was a dark guild, which meant that they were all mages. A military platoon of this calibre would never stand a chance," Erza said, her voice cold with grief.

"C'mon, the platform's this way," Gray called, keeping his face turned away from the massacre. It didn't take long to reach where Eisenwald was waiting once they bolted towards the platform, the dark guild positioned directly in their path.

"Welcome," a raspy voice called out, the silver haired man sitting on top of the train watching the group like a vulture. "I knew you'd come, Fairy Tail." Lucy nearly whimpered when his blazing gaze met hers, the calamity radiating off of the man exciting the dark magic already burning through her magic as she tried to contain it. "We've been waiting for you."

"You are Erigor, are you not?" Erza asked, her tone clipped.

"Hey, you're that armored girl from the other day," a tubby man called, glaring at Titania. "So it was you who leaked out our plan."

"It's all because of you," Kageyama snarled, taking a threatening step towards the blonde.

"Cool it, Kage-chan," a man dressed as a Desiertan mummy scolded.

"What do you all intend to do?" the scarlet haired mage asked, her voice ringing with authority. "Depending on your answer, I may have to make you pay for it."

"Well, we just want to fool around," Erigor said casually. "We've got no jobs and we're really bored." The men below him laughed, and a gust of wind pulled the man to his feet, his moves majestic despite everything. "Don't you get it yet? What do all train stations have in common?"

"The stations?" Erza mumbled under her breath, eyebrows pulling together.

"Come on now," the silver haired mage taunted. He used his magic once more, a gentle breeze carrying him across the area to rest on top of the speakers.

"You want to broadcast Lullaby's melody?" the redhead shouted, horrified.

"Just think, if we turn the volume up enough, we might be able to get the whole town. If not, well, most of the towns gathered here already!" the wind mage shouted, his guild breaking out into raucous laughter. "This is the start of it all. We'll be cleaning up the fools who go around, living their lives, abusing and forgetting the rights they take for granted. Living a life oblivious to the unfair ways of the world is a sin. The Grim Reaper's come to punish them. The punishment is death."

"Your rights will never be returned if you continue to do illegal things," Erza scolded.

"Coming this far, it's not the rights that we're after. We want authority," the wind mage corrected. "If we have authority, we can erase the past and control the future!"

"It's a shame you won't be able to," Happy taunted. "We won't let you!" All at once, everything began to go downhill; and it all started with Erigor looking at Lucy.

"Oh, we'll see about that," he purred, two hands clamping around Lucy's shoulders. She could barely get out the scream before she was falling, the hands never leaving her while she struggled to breath in the darkness.

* * *

**Oh my goodness, I'm going to get you guys a nice chapter soon, I promise! BUT do we want to keep doing Monday/Tuesday updates and skip a week, or do we want to change to Friday updates? I have Thursday through Saturday off as it stands currently, so that gives me and my beta a day to go over it, a day to get it publish ready, and a day to start my next chapter. It's up to you guys!**

**Personal note now, I bleached my hair! You guys, it's so orange right now from the red, but it got hella light and I literally went from almost black to damn near rose gold my first session! I love my best friend for doing it! Ahh! My birthday was on the 11, and now I'm nineteen and broke, but at least I have an iPhone XR. Am I right?**

**No. I'm not, but it's all good guys!**

**Reviews!**

**latinagirl-reader2010, okay, I'm honestly in love with how Natsu turned out, but I'm trying to keep it kind of cannon too because I've literally always loved Natsu so, I'm biased. I'm not entirely sure if I'll be doing the 100 year quest (but can we talk about that newest chapter? Actor!Natsu and Manager!Lucy fucking in the backroom? I LOVE it!) but I do plan on going to the end. I actually have most of the Tartaros arc planned and some plans for the year gap. I'm so glad you brought up Juvia! No, Juvia will not be exactly the same! I swear you're going to love Juvia for the precious little bean she is because this story will NOT be doing her dirty! We stan that queen!**

**Melancholy's Sunshine, this story will be a little different than the other NYAFT. I don't think I'm going to have Happy go off alone to save Lucy, but this will begin to change the dynamic in their relationship. I think I will definitely have Gray antagonize Natsu about Lucy being in his hoard and constantly ask her to go on jobs, like really dangerous ones he knows she'll turn down anyways. Erza will be there hiding her smile, demanding sparing session with Lucy and watching Natsu literally lose his mind. It'll be the best because Fairy Tail will be supportive in really awful ways (cough cough Cana demanding to sleep with Lucy while Natsu literally loses his mind will be the best). **

**Valerioux, I love Lucy and Erza's relationship! The girls in Fairy Tail will be the best of friends, so don't even worry about bonding time. Erza will only become more dramatic the longer her and Lucy hang out. Stopping a train for her seems like nothing for what I have in store. Okay, so Lucy uses holy magic, as I lightly explained in the chapter, but holy magic is specially attuned to sense the magic that needs to leave the world. This will give her an edge that no one's used to, but she literally has a magic radar kind of thing that pinpoints the dark magic and it bothers her more the worse it is. Also, when being contained by holy magic, dark magic can tear through it more quickly, so she's literally burning through her magic just holding onto the flute. It would be the same if Zeref took her keys, since they're holy objects.**

**Littlest1, Lucy is definitely developing some habits she's going to use in the future. I literally dream about getting that chapter out. It's kind of subtle, but it'll be cute y'all. A little heartbreaking, too. Natsu still does have a bit to learn before anything happens. And Erza will learn to absolutely adore Lucy. Galuna will be a huge bonding moment for Gray and Lucy, for sure, and it will definitely be different from canon, so be prepared! Happy's bitterness should fade soon enough. Erza and Lucy are going to know each other like the back of their hand, honestly (chapter of them taking shots and telling truths? I think ABSOLUTELY!) There's literally more than one requip magic, and like how hard is it to actually say what kind it is? Thank you!**

**anna5949, thank you so much! This story will have a lot of nalu in it, so stay tuned! **

**19vanelkc, that's so fricken cool! If I did an avengers thing, I'd do an au shield kinda thing, but different than just following the Marvel movies. Interested?  
**

**okiedoki, hello! Welcome to NYAFT! I'm always opening to answering questions! Shoot them over and I'll get back to you asap! Okay, so the reason Natsu and Happy are unwilling to open up to someone again is because of Lisanna, short answer. When Natsu was little, he hoarded a bunch of people (Lisanna, Mirajane, Laxus, Erza) because he liked some of their physical aspects. When Lisanna started showing interest in Natsu, he got to know her and found out he wanted to hoard who she was as a person, so he lost interest in everyone else- and most of his material possessions for a while. Then Happy came along, and they were raising him together, so Natsu is reminded of Lisanna every time he looks at Happy, and vice versa. She died because Mirajane wouldn't let them go on an S-class with her, because he was too weak. That's who of the most precious parts of his hoard (Igneel and Lisanna) to literally disappear into thin air, to abandon him with less than what he started out with. He only had Happy, and when he saw Happy, he saw everything he lost over his life. It took him a while to pull himself out of his depression, but he didn't want to let anyone get close, he didn't want to hurt again, so he became S-class since no one else could go on S-class jobs with him as a new S-class mage. When he ran into Lucy, he just saw her hair, and he loves gold so instant hoarding honestly. He's scared she's going to leave again, and now he knows that it can be death that can take someone, too, so it freaks him out. Happy never had the Igneel, and he was never really close with anyone else in the guild (Mirajane and Elfman, because he would stay with Lisanna sometimes), so now he feels like Natsu's leaving him, too, for Lucy. That's long answer (sorry, I ramble). Most dragon instincts are "I want that and I'll do anything to get it", which I'll explain in more detail during Phantom. Chapter two is mostly him hating his instincts for wanting this stranger and his instincts hating him for not literally kidnapping her. I hope that answered something at the very least!**

**Caamie, merci beaucoup! Je parle un peu française. I'm not very good, but I can kind of understand it, if that's easier for you. I love that you're enjoying the story! I'd like to apologize in advance for any incorrect French I use in the story (Stellan is going to be French.)**

**SoftKittyPaw, tell me about it! I have a Black Butler fanfic that I haven't been able to delete because it had been my most successful story before NYAFT and I literally hate it more than life itself. How did anyone enjoy that? UGH. I lived in dumb bitch juice during middle school. Thanks love!  
**

**Kisa7221, I UGLY CRIED THE WHOLE TIME! I ALMOST LOOKED UP HOW TO MARRY TOM HOLLAND AGAIN! If I'm doing an avengers au, you're helping me plan some of it out. Now answers. Lucy will literally always show off her healing skills. Those are staying with her the whole story, and Wendy and Chelia are going to love learning little healing spells from Lucy, because the generic spells use either less magic or more magic but are more efficient. There will be many changes to the common arcs. For one, Phantom will be super demented. Galuna Island will have Natsu the whole time, and he's an S-class mage. Other things. Lucy will figure it out in Phantom Lord arc! Captian Marvel or Spider Man or fucking Iron Man. Black Widow maybe. Shuri. Is there such thing as a single favorite? What's yours though?!**

**CelestialMaidSpirit, AlyDragneel! My girl! Tell me about it, honestly. Work is exhausting! Awe, you're so sweet! Okay, so obviously Lucy and Gray are gonna be close, but Lucy and Gajeel are my brotp so that's going to be in this story. Also, Laxus and Lucy are gonna be chilling. All the brother-sister friendships! Lucy is definitely going to know how to enchant some stuff, and no, not enough to be an enchantress. But, Wendy and Lucy are going to be the ultimate brotp of this story, so be prepared! **

**Naru285, thank you so much! Lucy and the ladies of the guild are going to be great. **

**Starstruck-MJ, I always hated how they were like "Lucy's been a runaway for a year" but she's also like "princessy" yaknow? Like, I know it isn't the same experience for everyone, but if you run away, you're forcing yourself to become an adult, for her in the canon at 16. She would have learned money management (which takes a long time to master) and she needs a source of income. Like, she'd know more about the world as a runaway than they showed she did. Protective Natsu is the best!**

WildCatWit**, tell me about it. I have three days off this week and I am in heaven right now. I still look like I get beat daily, though, so yikes, yaknow? We had four bathers, and one had surgery, so now we have three bathers to cover our entire, busy ass salon and the groomers don't do nail grinds but they're walk in, so the bathers are having to stay hella long to make up for that lost time. It's kind of ridiculous. Awe! I had a woman bring in a Pomeranian mix for her first bath and she rushed us so when we were grinding its nails, it got too stressed out and had a nosebleed. Like, if you don't want it to take so long, just brush out your dog? ANYWAYS, Gray might have a teenie tiny little crush on her for like half a second, but Lucy really isn't Gray's type. I'm honestly so ready for Happy and Lucy to bond! Natsu will be breaking into her appartment sooner or later (and a lot of times after that). **

**DreamWeaver2121, ****thank you so much!**

**Fairy.**** Rains, okay, but have you listened to babygirl by sugarland or girl in a country song by maddie and tae? Those are some bomb ass songs and it just grows on you. Thank you so much! I'm always worried that things seem rushed or too dragged out, so I'm glad you don't think so! You're so precious!**

**N. I, thank you so much! I try. Happy should start to loosen up soon. He's still just scared for now, but it'll change. Happy and Lucy will be super close, soon enough, but he'll still have that Happy bite to him.**

**Breathless02, Thank you so much!**


	14. Chapter fourteen

**Chapter fourteen**

There was a moment after she broke through the darkness that Lucy could only gasp for air on her hands and knees, her lungs aching and her ears ringing. She quickly studied her new surroundings- she was sure she was no longer by her comrades, but she still craved their comfort. Instead, she only found more men around her than before, and, to her dismay, her friends far past the crowd of their enemies; she could barely see their striking red and rose hair in the distance.

"What a pity for you little flies," Kageyama chuckled, standing above the blonde. He lifted the celestial mage, his hands latching on to her, probably bruising her biceps in the process, and snaked his shadows around her. "You'll all die without getting to glimpse at the dark age!" His lips moved forward, pressing against Lucy's ear to whisper, "Too bad you can't summon that dragon again."

"She didn't control the fire," the blonde growled. _"Harq!"_ It was a tiny flame, but that was enough to sever one of his grasping shadows and give her the room she needed to knock her elbow against the man's ribs. She didn't get far before Erigor was behind her with his fingers threading through her hair and tugging as a silent way of warning. But, in true Fairy Tail fashion, she didn't listen, instead turning her head to sneer at the wind mage. "You're facing the strongest team in Fairy Tail. There's no way you could win."

"Well, if I go out," Erigor purred, holding up his scythe and jingling the keys he had hung on the top of the weapon, "I'm taking you with me."

"Those are Lucy's keys!" Happy shrieked while Natsu attempted to reach the blonde by throwing himself head first into the barrier of dark mages.

"I leave the rest to you all while I go get the flute. Let these clueless flies feel the power of Eisenwald's darkness!" the silver haired man cheered once more as he dragged their celestial mage away.

"I would rather die of magic deprivation than hand Lullaby over to you!" Lucy cried out, shivering from the loss of her own body heat- at least, she hoped it was that and not her fear. Erza felt a fondness for the blonde; her stubborn determination made the requip mage proud- not to mention that the way Natsu fought for Lucy said a lot about her character.

"Get back here! Ya ain't takin' Luce nowhere!" Natsu shouted as he sent yet another dark mage flying.

"Gray, our current objective is to either give Natsu a clearing to go rescue Lucy or to do so ourselves," the redhead said quickly and quietly. The ice mage mage nodded as the two threw themselves into the fray.

* * *

Erigor was a vile man, throwing Lucy by her hair the moment they were in a closed off room and leaving her to lay on the floor. He circled her, staring at her hungrily like she was his next meal; he certainly felt like a vulture with his legs crossed easily as he slowly floated around her from his place in the air. "This doesn't have to go poorly, you know," he drawled tauntingly.

"I didn't think I could convince you to turn yourself in that easily," she spat in response, rubbing her collar bone gingerly as she sat up. The handle of his scythe came down, slamming against the back of her head and sending her face crashing into the floor once more. She whimpered as her nose cracked, warmth covering both the back of her skull and her lip. Great, more blood- as if her clothes weren't stained enough already.

"Just give up Lullaby. We've been here a while, so you must be running low on magic by now," he practically sang out, thrilled by this game of cat and mouse that he'd set up. "You don't have your keys, so you won't be able to defend yourself. Do you really want to be needlessly slaughtered?"

"That would be a lot more threatening if you hadn't already told us you planned on using Lullaby here at the station. We'd all still die anyways," the blonde reminded him with a sneer. "Besides, Lullaby isn't somewhere you can get it, and my death will send it even further from your hands."

"Then I'll break every bone in your body," he compromised, bringing the butt of his scythe onto her leg and easily snapping her tibia. The scream that tore out of her lips was completely involuntary on her part, one of her hands coming up to muffle the noise as it became a string of hoarse sobs.

Faintly, both mages heard Natsu shout, "Don't worry, Luce! I'm comin'!" The wicked smile that formed on Erigor's face took any comfort Lucy might have found from her friend's voice away in an instant.

"Seems we'll have to speed this up a bit," he cackled as he swung the blade of the scythe making it catch on Lucy's ribcage. The blood that poured from her new laceration slickened her skin and the ground, the pain making her head spin until she was forced to lower herself to the pavement.

"Seems we will," she wheezed, agony in her tone. She turned her head, cheek pressed into the ground, and he felt a small flicker of amusement at how dark her brown eyes became. _"Dwilo."_ As if he was struck with a battering ram, Erigor found himself soaring back until he slammed against the wall. Lucy sat up slowly and cried out when her side seared in protest, her bloody hands applying pressure to the gash.

"That's it," he snarled, pulling himself up and stomping towards her. His knuckles had lost their colors from how tightly he was holding his weapon. "You're going to give me the flute or I'll break your keys one by one and kill you, Lullaby be damned!"

"Those are celestial keys," she panted around labored breaths. "You can't break them."

"You think I haven't studied celestial fuckin' magic?" he yelled. "I know enough to know that an outside mage using a contracted spirit's key too many times will shatter it!"

* * *

Happy had never seen so much blood from someone Fairy Tail considered an ally, and, despite not personally _liking_ Lucy, he felt a pang of fear for the frightfully pale blonde. She was on her back, her left leg rolled awkwardly to the side, and she had blood smeared from her hair to her shoes- not to mention the blood of crimson liquid surrounding her.

"Luce," Natsu mouthed, horrified. He inched towards her, afraid to reach her and find out that she was as injured as she looked. "Erza, can ya do anythin'?" His shaky tone made even Gray's heart drop and a sick feeling welled up in the pit of his stomach when a gasped sob tore through Lucy's lips.

"I… I don't know," Erza stuttered as she cautiously moved towards the blonde.

"I'm fine," Lucy whispered, but the way her voice cracked gave away her obvious lie. "Natsu, Gray, find Erigor. He has Lullaby." She turned hazy eyes towards them, and, for a moment, Gray thought she looked like a corpse speaking to them. "Erza will stay and keep me safe. Go." The redhead nodded when she found Natsu's eyes on her, moving closer and kneeling next to the celestial mage.

"You'll be fine," he croaked, though if he was assuring Lucy or himself, Erza couldn't tell. Without another word, the pair of males took off out of the room, leaving Lucy, Erza, and Happy in an awkward stretch of silence.

"I'm sorry for trapping you here," the blonde began, sitting up weakly, "but I didn't think Natsu would sit and watch me give myself stitches. He needs to release some pent up anger." The requip mage stored her gloves back in her armory so her bare hands could support the blonde as she began digging through her bag. "I'm… also sorry that I lost Lullaby."

"I will hear none of it," Erza said softly, her voice kind but firm. "No one would have expected you to fight off Erigor without your primary magic. I'm sorry you had to endure that." The cut looked even worse when Lucy cleaned it, and Happy had to turn his eyes away as bile rose in the back of his throat. The blonde didn't even flinch as she stuck the needle into her skin and her stitching was neat and experienced in a way that Erza admired; as much as she didn't mind gore, she didn't think it was possible to be so professional about stitching one's own wound, especially one at such an awkward angle. "I'm not sure how I would have fared if it was me facing Erigor as you had."

"You would have done fine," the blonde assured, sorrow ruining the gentle expression she wore. "I was foolish to think I could hold him off, to think I could fight. I only made him so much angrier." She shuddered, tears rising to her eyes again and racing down the leftover trails. "I should have just let him kill me to save whoever he intends to use Lullaby on."

"Hey, don't say that," Happy argued weakly. He was still shaken- from seeing the bloodlust in Erigor's eyes as he dragged Lucy out of the room, from the intense way Natsu barreled through the dark guild, from how dead the blonde's eyes looked right then, from the way Erza had to hold her up so she could stop the lazy flow of blood- from everything. "Listen, Natsu or Gray will find Erigor and they'll stop him. No one's gonna die because of that flute."

"That just doesn't make sense, though," Lucy argued. "Why would he gather his whole guild here to kill everyone nearby? I can't imagine even a dark mage being that stupid, thinking he can defeat the world without anyone on his side. Not to mention, why would they stick around when their deaths were guaranteed?"

"You're right," Erza said suddenly as the clues started to line up. She watched the blonde tie off her last stitch and slather some salve on the wound before pulling on a loose fitting shirt to replace her blood soaked one. "If that's the case, then it must be something about this station specifically." Realization came to Erza like a shock and the redhead gasped so hard she jostled the blonde currently splinting her leg. "This is the only station that leads directly to Clover, which is where the guild masters are having their annual meeting!"

* * *

Gray found himself falling behind Natsu, and he was honestly thankful for the distance. Seeing as they were lifelong rivals, the ice mage would never admit it, but the temper Natsu had in him was something Gray was pretty sure only a demon could house without it destroying him, and it sort of freaked him out. If the dragon slayer found that out, he would never hear the end of it.

"Stupid fuckin' bastard beatin' on Luce," said dragon slayer snarled, his voice more animal than human at this point. "I'mma fuckin' break both his legs an' see how _he_ likes it. Fuckin' pound his nose in." If Lucy's resilience didn't already creep Gray out (really, how did someone get beat nearly to death and keep their head on their shoulders while everyone _else_ freaked out?) the weird possessively protective streak Natsu had going for her sure did. "Play that flute for him my damn self."

"Or, what if we cool down and keep being legal mages?" Gray suggested awkwardly, jogging a good distance behind the fire mage. The look the roset shot him made him really wish he stayed with the girls. "Hey look, a split in the path. I'll go left, you go right." Natsu rolled his dark eyes, already turning around the bend when he whispered, "Don't die."

Gray brushed off the faint, "You too," he heard as he took off down the corridor, unsure where he wanted to go. His midnight eyes lingered for a few moments on each sign that he passed, just long enough to register what the room was labeled as.

"If he's gonna broadcast the death curse melody, it'll be a mess," he mumbled to himself, Fiorean easier to think in when he spoke the words aloud. His eyes widened suddenly, the teenager skidding to a stop as he glanced back down the hallway. "Broadcast! That's right! If he's gonna broadcast Lullaby, Erigor must be in the room with the broadcasting system!"

* * *

It wasn't hard to find the studio; Gray had passed the door labeled as such not too far back. He kicked the locked door off its hinges and entered the room- but, instead of finding the mage like he expected, he found only an empty room.

"Why isn't he here? This is the only room to broadcast from," Gray mumbled to himself. The bandaged man above him twisted his mouth into a sick grin; apparently, the teen hadn't noticed him yet. The man's grin widened as he slowly lowered himself towards the ice mage. "If he's not here, does that mean he never planned to broadcast Lullaby?" Luckily, Gray felt the magic in the nick of time to see the bandages racing towards him from the corner of his eye. He barely lunged out of the way, ending up flopping ungracefully onto the floor as dust and debris occupied where he once stood.

"Your instincts too good. You'll be a nuisance to our plan," the bizarrely dressed dark mage cackled. Gray thought he looked like a Desiertan mummy straight out of a museum, from the bandages wrapped around his rather modern outfit to the headpiece high standing citizens were buried in. An icy smirk crossed his face.

"So there really is something going on," he taunted. "Geez, and you were complaining about not having any real work to do." Taking up a fighting stance, the ice mage called his magic to his fingertips, the familiar feeling of drawing in water from his body, the air, the stream that ran eight kilometers below him relaxing his taut muscles. "Your luck's just changed."

* * *

"Makarov-chan," an unnaturally high pitched voice drawled, making the tiny old man cringe at the grating noise despite the smile that curled across his lips. "I like the mages at your guild. They're all so lively!" Pouring a shot of some high end liquor or another- he didn't bother with names since Mirajane kept tabs of what he liked and disliked- for Bob, the Blue Pegasus guild master, Makarov nodded. "I heard that they beat up an influential aristocrat from somewhere."

"Yep! That's Lucy, our newest member!" the Fairy Tail guild master supplied eagerly- he was _always_ willing to brag about his brats. "She's a good mage! And her boobs are _huge_!"

"It's good to be lively and all, but don't you guys think you're overdoing things?" Goldmine, the guild master of Quatro Cerberus, asked. The trio had been friends since their youth, and the tawny haired man had always been the most level headed in the group; he kept them out of trouble when they were younger and limited their trouble now that they were grown. "I keep hearing that council members are worried you guys might smash an entire town to smithereens one day."

"Lucy can smash me to smithereens with her boobs!" Makarov cheered drunkenly, completely ignoring his logical friend.

"Don't hit on your own mage, okay?" Bob wheezed as he stifled his laughter. He knew if he laughed, he would only spur on their foolish friend's antics, and they had been trying to break him of his perverse habits for years now.

"Makarov-sama, you have a letter from Mirajane-sama," a small golden bird chirped, hovering by the tiny guild master's head. All eyes snapped to the letter as Makarov opened it; all of these old men _loved_ Fairy Tail's cover girl and wouldn't miss a chance to see her for anything.

"Hello, Master," Mirajane's hologram sang. "Thank you for attending the regular meeting!"

"Look! This is our drawing card!" the old man was yelling over the message instead of listening. "Isn't she so cute?"

"Something wonderful happened since you left," the model continued. "Erza formed a team with Natsu and Gray, and of course Natsu dragged Lucy and Happy with them, too. Though, it did look more like Lucy doing the dragging." She cut off her musings, the prerecorded message leaving Makarov no time to process what he had heard. "That hardly matters though. Isn't it wonderful? I think they might very well be the strongest team in Fairy Tail history! Anyways, I just thought I'd better inform you of this, so I wrote you a letter. See you soon!" The moment she disappeared, Makarov tumbled off of the table he had been sitting on with a ghastly pale complexion and a horrified look on his face.

"Makarov!"

"What happened?"

"Oh dear…"

* * *

**First of all, bare with me! I know Happy doesn't really hate Lucy, but it's a slow process! Secondly, it was pointed out to me that my replies to the reviews are outrageously long, so starting this week, I'll be replying to reviews in PMs! Other than that, I almost broke my finger today and I still got two more days of work! Yay!**


	15. Chapter fifteen

**Chapter fifteen**

Anxious butterflies bloomed in Lucy's stomach as Erza and Happy carried her closer to the balcony of the train station. A crowd gathered on the ground so large that the dizzying blend of colors looked more grey than anything else. They couldn't hear anything the mumbling crowd was saying- though, as they watched, some unfortunate soul lost their toupée to the sudden wind. A strange hush spread quickly throughout the crowd as the small group came into view, loaded with tension.

"You!" the employee standing on the balcony stuttered. "You're the ones who barged in earlier! What's going on inside?" Without slowing her pace or removing her curled arm from her injured teammate, Erza snagged the megaphone from the employees hands and moved to the very edge of the platform.

"If you value your life, leave here immediately!" the redhead called out, magic amplifying her voice and broadcasting it to the group below. "The station is being occupied by dark mages! One of them is ready to cast a spell that will kill everyone around here! Evacuate as far away as possible!" The silence below was deafening, only the roar of the wind breaking the tenseness, and then a single scream started the panic. People were trampling one another below, both females cringing at the sight while Happy turned away completely.

"Hey! Why are you making people panic?" the employee screamed, running over with a few coworkers.

"It's better than to see them die," Erza said softly, not turning from the chaos below. "What I just said is the truth. Of course, we are doing our best to prevent it, but we can't guarantee your safety, so it's best for you to evacuate as well." Once the trio was alone, watching people flee, the requip mage offered Lucy a soft smile. "Why don't you rest while I make sure no one comes back?"

"Thank you," the blonde breathed, easing herself to the ground and resting her head against the banister behind her. It wasn't until the wind became unbearable that she opened her eyes again, freezing when the station no longer sat before her, only winds moving so quickly that it looked like white waters.

* * *

"I'll kill anyone who gets in the way of our plan," the mummy themed mage cackled, never releasing his grip on the bandages that had lowered him to the ground in the first place. He seemed very at ease, one foot on the ground while the other hung in the air and gave his body the momentum to twist both ways. He almost looked like a restless child.

"Plan or whatever, if you want to broadcast the Lullaby, this is the only place to do it," Gray reminded him. Another thought crossed his mind, the ice mage furrowing his eyebrows as he tried to work through everything. "If Erigor, who has Lullaby, isn't here, why did you occupy the station?" It was mildly horrifying to watch as the leisurely mage snapped to attention, those dark bandages of his lashing out and destroying the expensive equipment nestled into the room. "You never planned to broadcast Lullaby…" Those bandages turned on him, forcing him to save the thoughts for later and throw up a shield of ice.

"Ice?" his opponent screeched manically.

"What's your real plan?" Gray called back. All at once, the dark mage's demeanor changed. He retracted his bandages, stood straight, and seemed to concentrate for a moment before a smirk curled onto his face.

"It seems that Erigor-san's magic wall of winds has formed," he informed Gray. "It's our barrier to keep you flies from leaving."

* * *

Erza's hair looked like fire, bunches tangling while the ends flicked and waved wildly in the intense wind current, and her skirt would have bunched above her hips had she not plastered her hands to her sides. "How can it be?" the redhead whispered, her questions lost in the breeze.

"The station is surrounded by wind!" Happy screeched in shock. The requip mage spared a glance behind her- honestly, she had forgotten for a moment that she wasn't alone- and she quickly skittered back to where Lucy was watching the wind with overwhelmed eyes. She placed herself beside the blonde just as Erigor appeared, relaxing far higher in the air than any of them could reach without flying themselves.

"Would ya look at that, some flies outside their trap," he cooed out condescendingly. "You're the one who made the bystanders run away. And look, my toy came back for round two!"

"Erigor!" Titania screamed, rage burning within her mocha eyes. "Did you do this?"

"You know, I've always wanted to fight you, but unfortunately, I don't have time for that right now," Erigor called, sticking his hand out towards the redhead. "Just stay inside and be a good girl." Erza screamed as she was sent flying, crashing against the ground with enough force that her armor left sparks in her wake. "And you. You're more trouble than you're worth, girl. I should kill you now and leave your body for your comrades to find once they get out."

"There's no way I'd let you!" Happy cried. He was trembling and his voice quivered, but he stood in between the pair with clenched paws.

"Like I said, you're more trouble than you're worth," the wind mage spat out venomously, a gust of air knocking Happy against Lucy's head. The blonde groaned when the back of her skull snapped against the pavement, and Happy lost a couple nails trying to find somewhere to hold onto as he was sent through the wind. "Be glad that pink haired fly isn't here. He deserves to watch you die." Lucy wanted to scream as she was sent through the wind, sure that her bones were chipping away as her leg was jostled around, but she couldn't get the air into her lungs to do more than whimper.

"Are you okay?" Happy asked as he shot over to where she was laying, paws moving her clothes and twisting her around to check for any fatal injuries.

"I'm fine," she whispered, but she still shook as she thought of the threats.

"Erigor!" Erza screamed again, charging at the wind wall. The thick material that made up her long sleeved shirt was ripped off in the wind, her blood dripping off her arm as debris shredded her skin. "That confirms it, then. This station isn't their target."

"We have to find a way out," Lucy said quickly. "Happy, see if there's a hole at the top. Even if we could get one person out, that might be enough." Once the cat was gone, soaring upwards, the blonde locked eyes with her red haired companion. "You wouldn't happen to know where Natsu and Gray are, would you?"

* * *

Rubble scraped at his palms as Gray used the hole in the wall to prop himself in midair, lashing his leg out, sending his opponent flying. He hopped into the next room- a boiler room, or maybe a storage unit? It was too dark to tell- and allowed his dark eyes a few moments to adjust before tracking the only moving object in the room.

"I hate complicated stories, so just tell me what's going on," he snarled towards the dark mage. The mummy themed man just cackled for a moment, wiping some blood away from his split lip and onto his bandages.

"Alright. We trapped the flies here because you guys came out of nowhere," he offered easily enough, almost as though the pulse of magic from before had been a beacon. Perhaps it was, it made a lot more sense than his original idea that it was Lucy's doing. "Originally, we occupied this station to block off all transportation access to Clover station, the last stop on this rail line. The town is on the other side of a huge ravine, and there's no transportation other than this train." He looked comically thoughtful for a moment before shrugging off his thought process. "Unless, of course, you can fly like Erigor-san."

"So Lullaby's heading to Clover?" Gray asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why-"

"Just think _carefully_ about the events in Clover right now," the dark mage urged, attacking once more with snake like bandages. Gray was on the verge of throwing up a shield as the puzzle pieces clicked together in his mind, his body faltering as he struggled to breathe. He couldn't even flinch as the sharp material slicked into his body- arms, legs, shoulders all leaking steady streams of blood.

"No way. It can't be," he choked out, a small tremor coursing through him. "Clover, that's the town where those geezers are holding their regular meeting. You're targeting the guild masters?" Laughter flooded the air, and the icy fear became white hot rage within Gray's veins, thawing his muscles and burning just beneath his magic, urging it to defend those who defended mages like him for so long. "You're doing a pretty outrageous thing against geezers with powerful magic."

"Playing the flute for some old men who don't know what's gonna happen should be easy enough," the dark mage countered. "I'm sure Erigor-san can handle it on his own. Besides, people like you who are in the way are stuck here at the station, so no one can stop us now. We're taking revenge for the oppression we faced in the past! Everything will disappear!" Blinded by his own madness, the mummy themed man was unprepared for the hand that splayed over his face, freezing for a moment before ice grew over his skin.

"We'll stop it," Gray promised, darkness tinting his voice as his accent became more apparent. "We'll make you regret ever targeting our 'parents'." The dark mage was stuck, shock written across his face with his mouth opened wide and his eyebrows halfway up his forehead- an uncomfortable looking expression, but Gray felt no pity. "I'll teach you that there are guilds more frightening than some puny dark guild." Fingers clawed at the spikes of ice, blood slicking the substance as the dark mage sliced his hands open trying to pry away the ice. Gray was gone before the mummy themed man was even unconscious, the magic in the ice waiting until he was no longer a threat before it began to melt away.

* * *

**Hey guys. Sorry about the short chapter and the long wait. I won't be sticking to a schedule for updating anymore. Life's been bad. I lost my childhood dog on Sunday, and I've been working with German Shepards all week (my big guy was a German Shepard, so of course I only get his breed in, right?) I've been struggling with other personal issues, and it's just become too stressful. My PMs are open to everyone, if you want to talk or whatever. Thanks for understanding.**


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